Chaos Theory
by butterfly collective
Summary: A sequel to "Fatal Vows, the revision" which takes place two months later where Matt's relationships with three women come to a head while he tries to run around saving the city.
1. Chapter 1

Here's the first part of an old sequel I dug up to my revisionist look at "Fatal Vows" that was written in the 1980s. It's had a little work but for the most part, is the same. Again, don't own the characters just borrowing them then and now.

I hope you enjoy it and thanks for reading.

* * *

**Two months later…**

Matt exited the elevator with Uncle Roy into the lobby of his elaborate and stylish headquarters. The spacious suite merged a state of the arts professional office with a cozy bachelor pad. Much better for mixing business with pleasure, Matt always thought, with a lot less time spent stuck on the city's congested streets and freeways trying to get from one to the other. The women he dated loved hanging out there especially in the bubbling spa and the parade of women going in and out of the building over the years lit up more than a few gossip columns.

Thankfully, the paparazzi that sometimes pursued him had better prey to chase today and he and his uncle had been able to come into the building unaccosted by the usual mob of obnoxious men flashing cameras in their faces. Hopefully that meant that the media's interest in his aborted wedding two months earlier had finally died down.

He pulled at his tie, hating the damn things and eyed the Jacuzzi with longing. His muscles screamed for relaxation after hours spent cooped up in a sedan conducting a stakeout with his uncle providing a running commentary on a recent film festival he had attended.

Any time spent soaking in the soothing waters would have to wait after he cleared his desk of some paperwork that had piled up in the past several days.

Matt looked around the impressive setup that he surrounded himself with while he both worked and played, as always happy with its design. His suite had been featured in the pages of several interior decoration magazines for its innovative decorative scheme.

The fax machine sat next to the wet bar and he had installed both a gym and the aforementioned Jacuzzi in the suite for relaxing and unwinding after a busy day. And Baby, his pride and joy shared space with his elaborate entertainment system.

Chris looked up from her desk when she saw both men.

"You have a ton of messages," she said, handing Matt slips of paper.

"Thanks Chris," Matt said easily.

"And you have a visitor waiting for you in your office," she said.

"What about C.J.," Matt said, "Is she back yet from that business trip?"

"Her flight's due to land at LAX in about 20 minutes," Chris said, "She'll pick up the helicopter there and arrive here pretty soon."

"That's good," Matt said, "I called the hanger and the maintenance team said they'd finished patching up the bullet holes and it's ready to go."

Roy headed towards the wet bar, his favorite spot.

"Matlock, can I get you something?"

"How about a gin and tonic," he said.

Roy nodded and made him one, watching his nephew the entire time. He'd been worried about him since Elizabeth had left him at the altar and he'd gone off to Tahiti with his best friend to mend his broken heart. Not that he had been worried about _that_ but he had hoped his nephew would have benefited more from his retreat to a tropical island. Far from being rested and relaxed when he returned, Matt had thrown himself back into his work. Great for business but what toll was it exacting on his personal life?

Roy feared he would soon find out.

* * *

Taking his drink, Matt headed towards his office ready to kick back and sort through the pile of papers. C.J. would be dropping by with the helicopter soon enough and perhaps they would then head out to dinner at one of their favorite restaurants to catch up on each other's lives. Since returning from Tahiti, the two had barely seen each other. Matt had been buried in his caseload of investigations and C.J. had been flying all over the country taking depositions on some legal battles they were gearing up for involving several clients. He missed having her by his side and wondered if she felt the same way.

Matt opened the door and his eyes widened when he saw a woman sitting in a chair making herself quite comfortable in his office. She appeared familiar to him but he couldn't quite place her. That wasn't all that surprising because he encountered a lot of beautiful and stylishly dressed women in his line of work and in his social life. Still, he thought he should remember…

"Hello, do you have an appointment," he asked, taking off his jacket and draping it over a chair before sitting at his desk.

She looked indignantly at him but the flirtatious look in her eyes belied her demeanor.

"Don't you remember me?"

He looked confused as he tried to remember where he had crossed paths with her. Something about her face…It wasn't until she pulled a small silver flask out of her purse that her name came to him in a rush.

"Ginger…"

"That's right," she said, taking the cap off the flask before drinking from it.

"You were at my wedding."

"Your almost wedding," she corrected, "Friend of the bride."

"Elizabeth," he said, nodding, "How is she?"

Ginger rolled her eyes.

"Do you care?"

He frowned.

"Of course I do," he said, "What kind of question is that?"

Ginger smiled coyly before taking another sip from the flask. Matt thought he smelled vodka.

"She's doing just fine on her own," Ginger said, "Oh she was a little heart broken when we headed off to Mexico for a couple of weeks of fun and frolic but she's done a lot of thinking since then and she's ready to make some changes in her life."

"That's…good," Matt said and he meant it, "Change is always healthy."

Ginger leaned forward and after resting her elbow on his desk, placed her chin on top of her hand. She studied Matt intensely in a way that made him feel a bit uneasy.

"So what have you been up to," she asked, "Been quite busy from what I read in the columns."

"You can't believe everything you read," he said, "The truth is that since we got back from Tahiti, I've been buried in work."

Her eyebrows shot up.

"So you had company on your trip to Tahiti," she said, nodding, "Of course you didn't go on your honeymoon alone. I imagine that you took some pretty young thing with you or several to keep you company."

"I invited my business partner," he said, "It's one of her favorite places."

"Now that's interesting," Ginger said, "You must have had a fabulous time."

Matt paused looking at his glass.

"We…did actually," Matt said, "It rained a bit but the weather the rest of the time was great."

"So what did you…do?"

Matt narrowed his eyes.

"You're asking a lot of questions."

"Oh, don't act coy with me," Ginger said, "Tahiti is one of the most romantic places in the world, the beautiful ocean, the breezes, the scenery…"

"We had a great time," Matt said, "Saw the sights, ate the food, listened to the music and spent a lot of time talking like we always do."

Ginger harrumphed.

"I'll bet," she said, standing up with her flask still in one hand.

"Is there a specific reason why you're sitting in my office," Matt asked.

"Ah yes," she said, "I heard you got back and I thought maybe if you had some time free, you'd go out with me for a drink."

He eyed the flask.

"It seems you already have one," he said.

Her brow lifted.

"Oh yes of course," she said, "and you have a gin and tonic. We're all set and can get straight down to business."

"I've got a lot of work to do," he said, gazing at the pile of documents and folders sitting on his desk.

Ginger shook her head.

"Tsk, tsk," she said, "All work and no pleasure makes Matt a dull and tired man."

He sighed as she curled one of her fingers and beckoned to him. Flask carrying aside, Ginger oozed sexiness and he knew he should feel attracted to her but she just didn't do it for him.

"Ginger, I don't think…"

She approached him, touching his mouth with her finger.

"You talk way too much…"

She sprawled herself on his desk, pushing papers off of it. He watched them float gently to the floor, wondering if he'd ever be able to sort them out again.

"How strong is this desk anyway," she said, reaching for him.

* * *

C.J. picked up her luggage from the baggage claim after she landed and headed off to the hanger where the helicopter was scheduled for a pickup. She loved flying the bird whenever she had the chance. It allowed her the chance to remove herself from the chaotic din of living in L.A. and realize how small a piece L.A. was of a much larger world when she flew above it rather than being caught in the middle of it.

She hit the bathroom first and looked in the mirror. Her makeup still looked fresh and her hair, well it's nothing a dab of conditioner wouldn't fix. She felt so sleepy after she had left the final meeting to make her flight that she had napped on the plane. She ran her fingers through her hair and then flipped it back, deciding that looked better.

The helicopter waited for her on the tarmac in front of the hanger almost like a long lost friend. She talked to the mechanics and then prepared it for takeoff so she could fly back to their office in Century City. As busy as she had been the past few days, she still had work at the office to catch up on closing out some accounts involving their investigative agency. Business had been booming after she and Matt had returned from Tahiti and had gotten back in the swing of things. As usual, more cases than they could handle landed at their office. Chris told them when they had returned that phones had been ringing off the hook.

Even after the nap, she still felt exhausted and her muscles ached deeply. Perhaps when she got to the suite, she could soak in the spa for awhile to loosen them up. Disappointment struck her as she remembered that she hadn't reviewed the spreadsheets from last week. Everything else would have to wait until she had completed that.

She adjusted the controls after climbing into the bird and the rotors began spinning slowly at first and then faster. She put on her headphones and finished the preflight check, smiling to herself.

* * *

Matt felt Ginger's arms wrap around him as she tried to pull him on the desk.

"Ginger…"

"Shhh, don't say anything," she whispered, putting her finger on his lips again, "Just enjoy the moment."

And he almost did because after all, she was sexy and vivacious and well…his desk could handle it. But something stopped him from responding back. He pushed her off of him, when she tried to kiss him.

"I can't…"

She sat up frowning.

"Why not," she said, "We're both footloose and fancy free, aren't we?"

He shook his head.

"Is it because you're still getting over your breakup with Elizabeth?"

He said nothing.

"Honey, I can assure you that there's nothing wrong with the two of us…well having some fun," she said, "You're so handsome and sexy. I'm beautiful and at the moment, available. We could have ourselves a real good time without even leaving your office."

Matt considered the officer but he had to turn her down.

"You are very beautiful and what you're offering is very tempting," Matt said, "but I'm not interested and I'm very busy catching up on work."

Ginger looked perplexed.

"Which is the greater problem for you because I could help you with both."

He shook his head.

Her lips turned down into a pout.

"Why not?"

Because his thoughts had turned to someone else and everyone else came a distant second.

"I…"

Suddenly, somebody knocked on his door.

"Who is it," he asked.

"It's me Matt," a familiar voice said.

Both Matt and Ginger looked at each other.

Elizabeth?

"Come in," Matt said, sitting back in his chair and reaching over to pick up the papers which fell on the floor.

Ginger planted herself right back in her chair and took a much needed sip from her flask. The door opened and in walked Elizabeth with a huge smile lighting up her face which was framed by tight curls a deep shade of auburn. She looked trim in her dress over which she wore a loose sweater.

"Hello Matt," she said, simply.

He noticed that she looked more vibrant than the last time he'd seen her.

"Hello Elizabeth."

"It's been a while," she said, looking for a place to sit.

He got up and found her a chair buried under investigative manuals.

"Just over two months," he said as she sat down.

Elizabeth flashed Ginger a look.

"Ginger, what on earth are you doing here?"

Her friend shrugged.

"I thought I'd check up on your ex-fiancé and see how he's been doing."

Elizabeth ran her hand through her hair and looked at him.

"He seems to be doing just fine," she said, "You look great, Matt."

He smiled.

"So do you."

She nodded.

"I've been keeping myself busy," she said, "I got a new job working at a clothing company in San Diego and been really busy since Ginger and I got back from Mexico."

"It's been very busy here during the past couple of months," Matt said, "More cases than C.J. and I can handle."

"How is she Matt," Elizabeth asked.

He paused, surprised that she asked.

"She's doing fine," he said, "She's due back on a business trip she's been on."

Ginger rolled her eyes.

"They went to Tahiti together," she said.

Elizabeth's eyes widened slightly and her smile dimmed but she hid it well.

"Oh…that's nice," she said, "Did you have a good time?"

Matt looked at her.

"Yes we did."

"Oh," she said, "That's nice. What did you do?"

"They did sightseeing, ate great food and talked a lot," Ginger said.

Elizabeth nodded.

"That's really good," she said, "You look great Matt."

"You already said that," Ginger reminded her.

"Well, he looks like he's taken good care of himself."

"Why wouldn't he," Ginger said, "Men like him bounce back well after the disappointments in life especially with their friends to help them."

Matt thought Ginger was very entertaining to watch but he wanted to know why Elizabeth had walked through his office door and back in his life after two months. And he always believed in getting straight to the point.

"Elizabeth, it's good to see you," he said, "but why are you here?"

She paused and Matt sat wondering what her answer would be. When she had left him after the wedding had been canceled, he thought that was it, that he would never see her again. But here she was, standing right in front of him. As if she had never walked away.

She smiled softly at him.

"Matt, I feel really badly about the way I handled things on our wedding day and even before that," she said, "I've had a lot of time to think about it and I've got something to say to you."

Matt sat there waiting, his heart in his throat.

* * *

C.J. angled the helicopter so that its landing would be smooth on the helipad, just outside the penthouse suite. Skillfully, she brought the bird down and began to shut the engine off. The daylight began to dim as the sun moved closer to the horizon, but the heat of an L.A. summer still baked the air. Much better to face than the humidity that she had been enveloped in the past week while away on business. Hopefully, the drier climate in L.A. would invigorate her and remove her fatigue which had clung to her for a couple of weeks.

She climbed out of the helicopter after gathering her luggage and headed towards the suite, hoping that he would be working in his office. She had something to tell him.

* * *

"So what did you want to tell me," Matt asked, expectantly.

Elizabeth looked at Ginger for support first before focusing her attention on him. But Ginger had taken another sip from her flask, watching the both of them.

"I don't know how to put this, but…I missed you Matt," she said, "Honestly, I was miserable the whole time I was in Mexico. All I could think about was you and how you looked when I told you I couldn't marry you."

"Elizabeth, I'm okay," Matt said, "I've had some time to think about it too."

She looked at her hands, taking a deep breath.

"Matt, I want us to start over again," she said, "and forget that day ever happened."

Her request for them to get back together floored him. He reached for his gin and tonic and took a slow sip to collect his thoughts. Did he just hear her right? She wanted to pick up where they left off as if nothing happened?

"Elizabeth, I…"

The door opened and there stood C.J. holding that guava juice that Roy fancied and she had acquired a taste for since he had moved to L.A. She looked tired but beautiful in her three-piece gray suit, with her dark hair falling around her shoulders. Her soft dark hair which framed her face, one he had known since childhood. He looked at her a moment taking her in and she looked at him quizzically.

"Are you okay Houston," she said, and then she took on the company around him, "Elizabeth…Ginger, what are you doing here?"

She tried to hide her shock but she felt pretty sure the other two women had seen it.

"Hi C.J.," Elizabeth said, "We were back in town and we thought we'd drop by," she said, "We were thinking of inviting you both to dinner."

Ginger looked at her friend, startled but quickly recovered.

"Yeah…what she said…I know a really great restaurant that just opened."

C.J. looked doubtful.

"I'll have to take a rain check," she said, "I just got back from a business trip and I'm pretty tired. But Houston, you should go."

Matt looked at his business partner looking for any signs of concern but she just smiled at him.

"C.J., why don't you come along," he said, "It will be a good chance to relax and catch up on how your trip went."

She rubbed her eyes.

"Houston, it's not polite to talk about business during a social engagement," she said, "Besides, this will give the two of you a chance to catch up."

"We need to catch up," he said.

She started to say something and then shook her head.

"I'll give you the highlights of the trip tomorrow," she said, "and Chris is working on the report tonight."

"Come on, it's just for a few hours," Matt said.

Ginger shrugged.

"If she doesn't want to go…"

Elizabeth smiled at her friend.

"Of course she does," she said, "We'll have a nice time. I want to find out everything you've been up to."

C.J. looked at Matt and then finally nodded.

"Okay, dinner will be great."

Elizabeth smiled again and stood up.

"Good then," she said, "We'll meet you at the Karmic Garden at seven."

She embraced him and kissed him on the cheek.

"See you then."

Matt and C.J. watched the two women leave his office.

"I'm going to take my things home and get changed," she said, going to get her luggage. He helped her with it.

"I'll walk you to your car," he said.

She nodded and then started walking. He fell in beside her as they headed towards the garage after getting off the elevator.

"It was certainly interesting to see Elizabeth again," C.J. said as they walked to her car.

"It was a surprise," he said.

C.J. looked at him thoughtfully.

"Maybe this will be the opportunity to get closure with her," she said, "or to start over again."

"C.J…"

She shook her head and kissed him on the cheek.

"Remember what I said."

She got into her car.

"I'll see you at the restaurant."

And then she was gone.

* * *

"So you're really serious about getting back together with him," Ginger asked as she and Elizabeth walked to their cars.

"I think he's receptive to giving us another chance," Elizabeth said.

"Are you sure about that?"

Elizabeth gave her a funny look.

"What are you saying," she said, "That he's not interested in getting back together?"

Ginger paused.

"I didn't say that," she said, "I just don't think you should assume anything."

Elizabeth pursed her lips.

"I know it might take some time," she said, "but I think it will work out for us."

Ginger looked doubtful.

"He seems to me like he's moving on," she said, "I don't want you to get hurt."

Elizabeth shook her head.

"Matt would never hurt me," she said, "I was the one who hurt him when I called off the wedding. A huge mistake on my part."

Ginger sighed, losing patience.

"Why do you want to get back with him," she said, "After what happened at the wedding with that lunatic reporter showing up…"

Elizabeth rolled her eyes.

"That was C.J.'s past coming back to haunt us," she said, "not Matt's."

"Is there really any difference," Ginger said.

Elizabeth wrinkled her brow.

"What are you getting at?"

"You told yourself you couldn't handle his life," Ginger said, "and all the danger and unpredictability that came with it."

Elizabeth nodded.

"I did say that," she said, "but I think I've learned that I can deal with it."

"Are you sure," Ginger said, "because you were in hysterics at your own wedding."

Elizabeth sighed.

"That was months ago," she said, "I've had time to think about what he and I could have had if I'd just been able to put my fears aside."

"He's not going to change," Ginger warned.

"I know that," Elizabeth said, "and it's not fair to ask him of that. I should just accept him for who he is and love him for it."

Ginger studied her friend carefully.

"Do you?"

Elizabeth ran her hand through her auburn curls.

"I…do," she said, "I should, if I intend to get him back."

* * *

C.J. didn't unpack her bags but went straight to the shower. After a day spent traveling, she couldn't think of anything she needed more except to pull back the covers in her bed and go to sleep but she had dinner to get through first. She wished she hadn't caved and accepted the invitation but she had been shocked to walk into Matt's office and see Elizabeth sitting there as if she'd never left.

She knew that could only mean one thing and that was that Elizabeth had second thoughts about leaving her fiancé and wanted him back. And if Matt wanted to marry Elizabeth after all, C.J. knew she could do nothing more than wish him well. When Matt knew what he wanted, he went after it with single-minded determination, letting nothing and no one stand in his way. She learned that pretty quickly herself.

After C.J. got out of the shower, she changed into more casual dress and slipped on some more comfortable shoes. She combed out her hair in front of the mirror, thinking about her business trip. She had worked hard for the past month spending time in various cities with little time to enjoy their sights and now that she had returned to L.A., all she wanted to do was unwind. She had thought the time spent in Tahiti relaxing and enjoying herself would have warded off the fatigue she felt now. She shook her head, wondering why that had popped in her mind. What happened in Tahiti was best left there. That had been their mutual decision but living with it had proved to be more difficult than she thought.

Suddenly, she heard her phone rang and she left the bathroom to answer it.

"Hi C.J. what's been going on?"

C.J. smiled. A close friend from way back in college, Gracie had a way of getting to the point quickly. She lived up in the Bay Area where she had started her own business and had been trying to get C.J. to visit her for a while.

"I just got back from a business trip and was hoping to relax…"

She heard Gracie clucking her tongue on the other end.

"What have you talked yourself into doing now?"

C.J. sat on her bed.

"Going out to dinner with my best friend and his ex-fiancée."

"Not the one who left him at the altar?"

"The very same," C.J. said, "She walked back into his office and I would guess she wants to be part of his life again."

"Meaning pick up where they left off?"

"I think so."

"How do you feel about that?"

C.J. paused.

"She really broke his heart," C.J. said, "and now she is just stepping back in like it never happened."

"How does Matt feel about this?"

C.J. tried not to think about that.

"I don't know but we're all going out to dinner," she said, "and she's bringing along an old friend."

"That sounds cozy," Gracie said, "Why don't you just ditch this crowd and come up and visit?"

C.J. felt tempted but…

"I just got back into town," she said.

"So what," Gracie said, "You can hop on the next plane up here or better yet, take a road trip and get away ."

C.J. sighed.

"I'm too tired to stay awake on the road," she said, "Besides, I've got a ton of work to catch up on since I've been traveling so much."

"Didn't you just go to Tahiti two months ago?"

C.J. rubbed her eyes.

"Yeah I did…so?"

"An exotic tropical island filled with sun, sea and relaxation didn't seem to rub off on you much," Gracie noted.

"I'm back to work now," C.J. said, "and very busy in the real world."

"So you coming up to Frisco or not," Gracie asked.

C.J. looked at her watch. She was running late.

"I'll think about it," she said, "I'll talk to you later."

She hung up the phone, and then picked up her purse before heading off to the restaurant.

* * *

Roy watched his nephew finish up some of the paperwork in his office. He had been working on it for several hours, catching up with the administrative side of his business he usually avoided. Roy grabbed his glass of juice and went to go talk with him.

"I thought you were going to dinner," Roy said, watching Matt stacking some files together.

"I just have to finish up these files," Matt said.

Roy sipped his drink thoughtfully.

"I never knew you to be so enthralled with clerical details," he observed.

"I've fallen behind so I'm catching up," Matt said, "Chris is handling the lion share of it."

"What about C.J," Roy said, "Doesn't she usually handle the spreadsheets?"

"Uncle Roy, she looked tired after her trip so I said I'd do it," Matt said.

Roy paused.

"Something on your mind Matlock?"

Matt looked up from his work pile at his uncle.

"Besides catching up on this backlog, not much."

"You've been preoccupied since you got back from Tahiti," Roy said.

Matt wondered what his uncle was getting at.

"I've been busy. Business has been booming with all these clients coming in."

"Keeping busy makes it easier to forget," he said.

"Forget what?"

Roy studied his nephew.

"You had two women come into your office this afternoon," he said, "Your former fiancée and her best friend and they didn't walk in together."

"There was a reason for that."

Roy nodded.

"So I gathered."

Matt raised his brows at his uncle. Roy sipped his drink again.

"Your fiancée is interested in getting back together with you and her friend's just interested."

Matt sighed.

"Something like that."

"And then C.J. comes back from her business trip…"

"What does she have to do with this," Matt said.

"Maybe nothing," Roy said, "Maybe everything."

Matt shot his uncle a look and the older man just shrugged.

"C.J. has been traveling a lot."

Matt opened another folder on his desk.

"Collecting depositions for a couple of cases," he said, "which were very important."

"I'm sure they were," Roy said, "and she got them done like she always does."

Matt pushed the file aside.

"Yes she did," he said, "and she's back home."

"And now you're heading out to dinner with three attractive women," Roy said.

Matt narrowed his eyes.

"What are you trying to say?"

His uncle looked at him as if surprised and then took another sip from his glass.

"That it should be a most interesting evening."

* * *

C.J. pulled up at the restaurant and handed her keys to the valet. She walked up to the entrance and bumped into a young man. He grabbed her arm.

"C.J., is that you?"

She looked up and saw Jason, a detective with the police department.

"Jason, what are you doing here," she said.

"I'm meeting someone," he said, then laughed, "I finally got a night off from work."

"I just got back from another business trip," she said, "I'm meeting Houston and his former fiancée and her friend for dinner."

"That sounds potentially dangerous," he said, "Are you going to be all right?"

She patted his arm.

"It's going to be fine," she said, "Just a group of us catching up."

"We'll if you need my help, just signal," he said.

She laughed and then suddenly, felt a wave of dizziness. He grabbed her arm again.

"Are you okay," he said, concern suddenly in his voice.

She nodded, her cheeks flushing.

"I'm fine," she said, "I just haven't eaten all day."

"Then make sure you get a good meal here," he said, "It's good to see you."

She looked up and saw Matt walking in the door. She smiled at him and he walked over to her.

"C.J., did you just get here?"

She nodded.

"I just ran into Jason," she said, "We were catching up."

"He actually took a night off?"

"I can't believe it either," she said, "It must be a woman."

"What makes you say that," Matt asked.

She smiled.

"It has to be something important to keep him away from all that overtime," she said, "or someone."

They talked to the maître `d and followed him to a booth in the corner. After they sat down, they ordered drinks. They sat quietly together for a moment, deep in their own thoughts.

"You look very nice tonight," he said.

"So do you," she said, sipping her water.

"They should be here any minute," he said.

She nodded.

"You still feeling tired?"

"A little bit," she said, "I'm sure it's jet lag."

"Do you want to take a couple days off," he asked.

"No, I'll be fine," she said, as the waiter brought their drinks.

"At least the deposition part of the process is finished."

She looked at him carefully.

"Houston…"

"What?"

"Why did you want me to come to dinner here tonight?"

He read her face.

"I thought it would be nice if we caught up," he said, "It's been a while since we have sat down and talked to each other."

"But I think your fiancée…"

"Ex-fiancée," he corrected.

"I think she wanted to have a chance to talk with you alone," she said.

"She invited Ginger," he said, "and you."

"I guess there's safety in numbers," she said, "I think you should spend time talking with her, just the two of you."

He leaned forward.

"There's nothing to talk about," he said, "She spoke loudly at the wedding when she walked away."

She looked away.

"There's everything to talk about," she said, "This is something you need to do to go on with your life whatever it is you decide to do."

He watched her flip her hair back off of her shoulders and closed his eyes.

"C.J…"

She looked past him.

"They're here," she said.

He turned around and saw Elizabeth and Ginger walking toward them, both wearing elaborate outfits and big smiles. C.J. wondered again why she had dressed more casually but she had just wanted to feel comfortable after a day spent flying.

Matt got up and seated them.

"Sorry we're late," Elizabeth said, "We got stuck in traffic."

"It's dreadful in L.A.," Ginger agreed, beckoning the waiter over to order a drink.

"It's good to see you made it," Matt said.

"I've heard lovely things about this restaurant," Elizabeth said as the waitress returned with the menus.

Ginger looked across at C.J.

"So you just got back from a business trip," she said.

C.J. nodded.

"Just wrapped up the last of some depositions needed for a case," she said, "I'm glad to be back home."

Ginger played with her napkin.

"I'm sure that it must be exciting flying around and seeing different parts of the country."

"It might be if I had anytime to see the sights," C.J. said, "but it's all work from dawn until dusk."

"Surely, you have enough time to get out and socialize outside of work," Ginger said, sipping her glass, "That's an integral part of every business trip I take."

C.J. could only imagine.

"Not for me," she said, "I usually take the work back to the hotel and spend my time with room service."

"I'm sure a woman like yourself can find a way to be entertained," Ginger said, "Business trips are excellent opportunities to meet men."

C.J. laughed.

"I wouldn't know," she said, "I'm too busy working to even look at them."

"Nonsense," Ginger said, raising her glass, "No one could ever be too busy to have some fun."

"Then you haven't known many lawyers," C.J. said.

"Oh come on," Ginger said, "a young attractive woman like yourself must have men beating down her door."

C.J. shook her head.

"Why is my social life and whether or not I have one so interesting to you?"

Ginger shrugged and took a sip of her drink.

"It's just idle curiosity," she said, "There's no reason to take it personally."

"Ginger," Elizabeth said, "Why are you hitting her with the questions? This is supposed to be a social occasion not an interrogation."

"Well what else are we going to talk about," Ginger said, "I'm trying to liven things up."

Elizabeth sighed.

"Why don't we just let them tell us what they've been up to since…we last saw each other?"

"Boooring," Ginger said, "That will last all of about 10 minutes and then we'll have to start discussing politics or religion."

Matt and C.J. just looked at each other. Elizabeth just smiled and looked at the menu.

"Maybe we should order," she said, "Is everyone ready?"

She called the waiter over.

"The fish is excellent," Ginger said, "but the calamari is to die over."

The thought of either made C.J. feel queasy.

"I'll just have a bowl of the soup of the day and a side of bread," she said.

The waiter finished taking orders and then left them.

"So who wants to go first," Ginger said, snapping a bread stick, "How about you Matt, what have you been up to since we last saw you?"

He just looked back at them.

"I've been very busy…once we got back from Tahiti of course," he said, "Business is really picking up."

"That's great Matt," Ginger said, "I mean a strong, handsome man like yourself running around and solving all these crimes…"

"The police solve most of them," he said, "Finding missing people and property is my specialty."

"That must be exciting," Ginger said, "I imagine you meet a lot of interesting people."

"Sometimes…"

"We do," C.J. said, "Never a dull moment."

"I can imagine," Ginger said, "I imagine you meet up with a lot of unsavory characters as well."

Matt smiled.

"Sometimes…"

"And some beautiful and very sexy women…"

Matt looked at C.J. and she just shrugged.

"After all, that's how you met Elizabeth here," Ginger continued, "on one of your cases."

Matt looked down at his glass.

"Ginger…," Elizabeth said, "I'm not sure we should take this trip down memory lane."

"Why not," Ginger said, "It's all water under the bridge and we've all moved on."

Elizabeth sipped from her wine glass.

"Maybe we should talk about something else," she said.

C.J. looked at her watch, wishing she were in bed asleep.

"Let's talk about our respective vacations then," Ginger said, brightening up.

"You mean our trip to Mexico," Elizabeth said.

"Yes, and Matt and C.J. can talk about what they did in Tahiti."

C.J. began trying to think up an excuse so she could leave the dinner party early.

"I already told him I had a miserable time in Mexico," Elizabeth said, "so what else is there to say?"

C.J. looked at Elizabeth, surprised.

"I of course had a blast on the Mexican Riviera," Ginger said, "But Elizabeth here spent most of the time in her hotel."

"Were you sick," C.J. asked.

"Broken hearted," Ginger said, "After all, she had just canceled her wedding."

"It wasn't all that bad," Elizabeth said, "I did go out to take in the sights after a few days and enjoyed myself."

Ginger rolled her eyes.

"She had lunch on the beach twice," she said, "and one drink on the balcony of our hotel suite."

"I was fine," Elizabeth said, "I just realized that I didn't feel like running away from myself and hiding my real feelings about what had happened."

Their food arrived and they dug into it. Matt looked over at C.J. who ate her soup.

"Is that all you're eating," he said, "You can have some of my fish if you like."

She grimaced.

"Keep that away from me," she said, picking up a piece of bread and dipping it in her soup.

Ginger brightened, as she picked apart her lobster.

"So how was Tahiti again?"

Matt looked up startled and C.J. kept stirring her soup.

"Was it as lovely as I hear," Ginger continued.

"It's very beautiful there," C.J. said, "The island's wonderful and the people are very nice."

"So what did you do," Ginger asked.

"We… went sailing and diving," C.J. said, "and hiking."

"That sounds…athletic."

"It sounds like a good way to spend a vacation," Elizabeth said, "What else did you do to pass the time?'

"We listened to music and ate at different restaurants," Matt said, "and went out deep sea fishing."

"That sounds like a romantic holiday if I ever heard one," Ginger grumbled.

"Ginger, they went on the trip as friends," Elizabeth said, "Why are you giving them such a hard time?"

"I'm just being sociable," Ginger protested, "I mean if I were spending some time on a beautiful tropical island with a man like Matt, I could just think of a better list of things to do…than fishing."

C.J. looked down at her soup. Elizabeth's smile quavered and Matt adjusted his tie.

"I see I've stopped the conversation once again," Ginger said, "I was simply being honest. Who would not spend some time in paradise with a man like him and not want to, well get to know him better."

C.J. looked at her watch.

"Look at the time," she said, "I've got to go. I have a really early day tomorrow."

She started to get up. Matt looked at her.

"Are you sure you're going to be all right?"

She smiled at him and nodded.

"I'll see you tomorrow," she said.

He watched her go.

* * *

Ginger looked at Matt and Elizabeth and raised her glass.

"So what should we talk about now?"

* * *

C.J. passed the bar on her way out and bumped into Jason.

"You already leaving," he asked, "Dinner went that well."

She sighed.

"It's been a long day," she said, "and I have to get up early tomorrow."

"Why don't I buy you a drink so we can talk before you leave," he said.

She thought about it then nodded. She did need to do some unwinding before she got home. If only to recover from that dinner she had just sat through.

"I'll have a club soda with some lime."

He nodded and putting his arm around her led her to a table.

C.J. looked behind her at the dining area as they ordered their drinks.

"I thought you had a date or something," she said.

He shook his head.

"She got paged on an emergency," he said, "She's a medical resident."

"Sounds exciting," C.J. said, "but a very busy life."

"Her and me both," Jason said, "It makes it very difficult to have a relationship."

She smiled at the wistfulness in his voice. In all the time she had known him, he had never had a relationship that lasted long.

"Does it matter enough to both of you?"

He nodded, sipping from his glass.

"Then you'll make it work," she said.

"What about you," he asked.

She frowned.

"I've been too busy," she said, "and life's just been so complicated."

"How so," he asked, "Does it have anything to do with your dining card tonight?"

C.J. looked at her glass.

"Matt's ex-fiancée, Elizabeth, dropped by his office today with her best friend, Ginger just out of the blue."

Jason leaned forward.

"Is this the first time he's seen her since the wedding that wasn't?"

C.J. nodded.

"She took off to Mexico with Ginger after she and Matt broke it off," she said, "I'm not sure why she's back but I don't think it's a social call."

"You think she wants to get back with him?"

C.J. fingered the rim of her glass.

"Maybe she's had second thoughts about canceling the wedding," C.J. said, "She did really seem to love him and he loves her. She broke his heart when she decided she couldn't marry him."

"It would never have worked out if she didn't accept how important his career was to him," Jason said, "That's what two marriages have taught me."

"It must be tough to be married to a cop," C.J. said.

Jason agreed.

"If women can't accept that danger is just a part of the job, it's tough for a marriage to last," he said, "and I think that will be true in Matt's case as well. It's just too much a part of who he is."

"It's hard to see him go out and risk his life," C.J. said, "Sometimes it's scary when you think something's happened to him and you're waiting for him to tell you that everything's okay. But I would never try to change who he is just to sleep easier at night."

"Being a friend to someone in a dangerous profession is different than being engaged or married to them," Jason said.

C.J. blinked her eyes.

"I realize that," she said, "but I think an important part of loving someone is accepting who they are and not trying to change them."

"It can be really tough to remember that at times," Jason said, ruefully, "but I'm trying with Lisa even though I hardly ever see her."

"I just don't want him to get hurt again," C.J. said.

"He's a big boy C.J.," Jason said, "He can take care of himself. But what about you?"

"What do you mean?"

* * *

Matt sat and listened to Ginger talk about some of the adventures she and Elizabeth had during the trip that they had taken to Mexico after the wedding had been called off. He looked at his watch several times.

"Well, that was certainly an exciting side trip, wasn't it Elizabeth," Ginger said.

"I suppose," she said, "Every beach seems the same after awhile."

Ginger frowned at her friend's lack of enthusiasm.

"Granted it's not Tahiti, but it's the next best thing," Ginger said, "What do you think Matt?"

"It all depends on who you're with," he said, thoughtfully.

Ginger raised her brows at him.

"He's not only handsome, he's wise," she said.

Matt smiled, unsure of what to say. Ginger certainly was on her game tonight. He wondered not for the first time what she had up her sleeve.

Ginger looked at him and Elizabeth.

"Listen, I think I'll mosey on to the power room," she said, getting up, "I'll be right back. Stay out of trouble, you two."

After she left, Elizabeth shook her head.

"I love my friend but she wants to be the life of the party when she drinks," she said.

"She sure loves to talk," Matt noted, "Not that it isn't interesting but she's nonstop."

"That's her in a nutshell," Elizabeth said, "But she's a great friend."

Matt raised a brow remembering her flirtatious attitude in his office.

"Yeah," he said, sipping his drink.

Elizabeth hesitated.

"I'm glad she left us alone for a few minutes," she said, "I've wanted to talk to you."

"Elizabeth…"

She took a deep breath. `

"I've wanted to say this for a long time."

"We've already said everything that needs to be said," Matt said, "and then you walked away."

"Matt… just hear me out," she said, "I want to apologize for how I acted during our wedding. I'm sorry if my actions hurt you."

"You did what you thought you had to do," Matt said, "You were right about me. I work in a dangerous job that I love and I never would have been happy living another life."

She shook her head.

"No, I was wrong," she said, "I thought I could never accept your livelihood and the dangers associated with it. I didn't think I could ever sit home at night waiting and worrying for you to come home from this job of yours."

"My career is dangerous sometimes," Matt said, "and even though I take precautions, a day might come where I don't come home."

She ran her hand through her hair.

"I know that and it's scares me but losing you scared me more," Elizabeth said, "I love you."

Matt looked up, stunned.

* * *

Ginger moseyed over to her favorite place in any establishment, the bar and saw C.J. sitting with a handsome well-built gentleman. Curiosity got the better of her and she walked on over to their table.

C.J. saw her coming and tried to not roll her eyes. Jason saw her expression and looked up at Ginger.

"I thought you'd left," Ginger said.

C.J. smiled.

"I ran into an old friend," she said, "We've been catching up."

"Who's your friend," Jason asked.

"I'm Ginger," she said, extending her hand, "and who are you?"

He took it.

"I'm Jason," he said.

She sized him up and smiled.

"How long have you two known each other?"

Jason and C.J. looked at each other.

"Since she moved out to L.A.," he said, "We met at a crime scene."

"How…interesting," Ginger said, "You two…weren't…"

C.J. shook her head.

"We're just good friends," she said, "Jason's one of Hoyt's best detectives and his girlfriend's a medical resident at a trauma center."

He shrugged.

"I still have my fantasies but that's all they are."

C.J. laughed while taking a sip of her drink.

"So what are you doing here," she asked, a bit wary.

Ginger's eyes sparkled.

"I left Matt and Elizabeth alone so they could catch up," she said, "She had some things she needed to say to him."

C.J. looked up at Ginger.

"That's good," she said, "I'm sure he's got some things to say to her as well."

Ginger narrowed her eyes.

"You don't have any problem with that?"

C.J. shook her head.

"Why should I," she said, "Houston's my best friend and your friend broke his heart. If he needs to talk to her to get some closure so he can move on with his life, I think that's a good thing for him."

Ginger folded her arms.

"What if she thinks canceling the wedding was a mistake," Ginger said, "What if she wants him back?"

C.J. looked at her puzzled.

"He's not giving up the agency for her," she said, "If she's interested in getting back together with him she's going to have to accept that it's an important part of his life and she said she couldn't."

"She's past all that," Ginger said, "She's probably telling him that right now."

C.J. looked at her glass.

"She hurt him a lot when she called it off," she said, "Is she sure she wants to pick up where she left off with him and hurt him all over again?"

"What's it to you," Ginger said, "Are you always this overly protective towards him?"

C.J. sighed.

"I care about him," she said, "and I don't like seeing him get hurt."

Ginger pulled up a chair and sat down.

"He's a big boy, C.J.," Ginger said, "And grown men can take care of themselves."

"I know that," C.J. said, "I just think Elizabeth shouldn't set her expectations too high."

Ginger raised her brows.

"That sounds like a warning," she said.

"Just some advice," C.J. said, "but it's not up to either one of us, it's up to them to decide where they go from here."

Jason listened, confused.

"I thought the wedding was called off," he said.

Ginger gave him a slight smile.

"Perhaps it was only delayed," she said, "I think despite what happened, they still love each other."

C.J. looked away but not before Jason caught something in her eye. Something that hopefully Ginger had missed. He knew the woman was baiting his friend. What he didn't know was why C.J. was allowing it to get to her.

She forced a smile.

"If that's the case, then they'll work it out," she said, "I only want what's best for him."

Ginger watched her carefully.

"I'm sure you do," she said, "and if they decide to remarry, I'm sure you'll be at his side."

C.J. rubbed her eyes, feeling weary.

"Of course I will," she said, "Even if I think he's making a mistake."

"And how would you know that," Ginger said, "or are you injecting your own feelings into the situation?"

"Of course not," C.J. said, "I only want him to be happy."

Jason looked from one woman to the other.

"What's going on here," he asked.

Ginger looked at him,

"My friend Elizabeth is trying to work things out with her fiancé…"

"Ex-fiancé," C.J. reminded her.

Ginger rolled her eyes.

"So that they can get married and live happily ever after…"

Jason looked at Ginger, doubtfully.

"Have you ever been married?"

"Twice," she said, "what does that have to do with anything?"

C.J. rubbed the bridge of her nose.

"Ginger, I think you're jumping ahead here a little bit," she said.

The other woman studied her carefully.

"What's the matter with you," she said, "If this is what Matt wants, why can't you be happy for him?"

C.J. just looked at her, trying to keep her temper in check.

* * *

Matt blinked his eyes.

"Matt, didn't you hear what I just said," Elizabeth said.

"I did."

"Aren't you going to say anything?"

He just looked at her a long moment, not sure where to start.

"Elizabeth…"

She raised her hand.

"I know, this is got to be a shock for you," she said, "but I just had to come here and tell you how I feel."

"This is a surprise."

"I know Matt," she said, "but I couldn't stay away any longer. I had to see you."

"Well, you're here," he said.

Elizabeth looked at him carefully.

"Well what do you think about what I just told you?"

Matt looked at her quietly, his mind slipping away to another time and place.

"I don't know."

* * *

It happened so fast that afterward C.J. wasn't sure which event triggered the sequence that was to follow. Jason and she saw the man standing by the counter at the same time while half listening to Ginger continue to wax on about how she was sure that Matt and Elizabeth would work their issues out and get back together. C.J's mind began to wander and her eyes drifted around the bar. That's when she saw him.

She nudged Jason.

"Doesn't that guy look familiar?"

He shifted his attention away from Ginger and looked where C.J. had focused her attention. He saw a man of medium height and build with blonde hair fidgeting by the bar.

"Yeah… come to think of it," he said.

"I don't know where I've seen him but I know I have," she said.

Ginger looked at the both of them, seeing that they were no longer paying attention to her.

"What's the matter," she said, "I'm not boring you or anything am I?"

C.J. shook her head.

"We're looking at that guy over there."

Ginger checked him out, licking her upper lip.

"I see what you mean," she said, "He's pretty hot looking if you like blue collar."

C.J. ignored her.

"Do you think he's done something wrong," she said to Jason, "Is that where you've seen him?"

"I don't know…"

He got up and C.J. tried to follow him.

"You two stay here," he said, "I'm going to take a closer look."

The blonde man walked with his drink towards a woman sitting in a booth. She looked up at him, and C.J. thought she saw a startled look flash in her eyes, before she smiled. Jason walked up to the gentleman where he sat.

"Excuse me…"

The man and his companion looked up at him, expectantly.

"What do you want," the man said.

"I couldn't help but notice that you look familiar to me…"

The man flashed a look of annoyance, layered over another emotion.

Fear?

"I get that a lot," he snapped, "Now if you'll excuse us. We're busy here."

Jason put his hands up.

"No harm no foul," he said, "I could be mistaken."

The man nodded as if considering that and then his eyes wandered past Jason and crossed paths with C.J.'s. His eyes widened.

She narrowed her eyes at him, trying to remember.

"Excuse me," the man said, "I have to make a phone call. I'll be back."

The woman nodded and he left the table. As he walked past Jason, he saw a flash of silver near the man's waist line. So did C.J.

"Jason, he's…"

Jason nodded at her and followed the man. The man noticed him and turned around to confront him.

"What are you doing following me," he said, "Are you a cop?"

"Why do you say that," Jason asked quietly.

Ginger watched what was unfolding.

"What's going on," she said, "Why is your friend following that man?"

"I don't know," C.J. said, not wanting to alarm Ginger enough to set her off. She got out of her seat and followed Jason. Suddenly, the man turned around and pulled his weapon on both of them. C.J.'s eyes widened in shock and Jason seemed stunned as well.

"Take it easy man," Jason said.

The man waved the gun at them and they stood and looked back at him, trying to think of what to do next.

* * *

Matt sat at the table with Elizabeth trying to come up with the right words to say to her if only he could figure out exactly what they were. She kept looking at him, expecting him to give him the answer that she wanted and he didn't think he could. He had loved her, maybe he still did but he had begun to move on with his life. Still he didn't want to hurt her.

She must have seen something in his expression which betrayed his thoughts.

"Matt, what's the matter," she said, "I know what I said must be a shock but certainly there must be some way you can allow me to make it up to you."

He looked at her, knowing it wasn't that easy. Complications had arisen since they had last been together though he wouldn't exactly call them that.

"I don't know what to say Elizabeth," he said, picking up his glass.

"At least think about it," she said, "That's all I ask."

Suddenly, he saw a waiter run past him.

"What's going on," he asked the harried employee.

The guy didn't stop.

"There's some commotion in the hallway near the bar," he said, "Two guys and a woman."

Matt turned to Elizabeth.

"I'll be right back," he said.

She just looked at him as he took off towards the bar where he saw Ginger.

"Oh Matt," she said, "You missed all the excitement. There was this man and both C.J. and her male friend followed him as he was leaving but I think he has a gun."

Matt's eyes widened.

"C.J.," he said, "What was she still doing here?"

"She was having a drink with this cop."

Matt nodded.

"Jason," he said, "So you saw them go towards the hallway?"

"After the man," Ginger said.

He grabbed both of her shoulders suddenly.

"Do you know why?"

She shook her head, taken aback by the expression on his face.

"I think she knew him from somewhere."

Matt sighed and left Ginger, heading towards the hallway. He reached for his gun, hoping that he wouldn't need it.

* * *

The man pointed his gun at both C.J. and Jason.

"You can't stop me from leaving," he said.

"We're not trying to," Jason said, mentally trying to count the seconds until he could reach for the weapon he always carried. Lisa didn't like him packing on dates but Lisa wasn't here.

"She's looking at me funny," the man said.

C.J. shook her head, and then out of the corner of her eye she saw him approach.

Houston.

Her heart froze and she started to shake her head slightly. The man looked up at Matt and fired his gun, startled. Twice. She watched as Matt fell to the floor seemingly in slow motion, his hand reaching for his side. The man looked stunned as if he couldn't believe he fired his gun and took off. Jason pulled his own weapon and sprinted after him. C.J. ran to Matt's side.

When she knelt beside him, she saw that blood smeared his shirt.

"You're bleeding," she said.

He grimaced from where he lay on the floor.

"It's not bad," he said, "I can barely feel it."

"You're going to have to lift up your shirt."

He looked up at her.

"Don't you think this is something we should do in private?"

C.J. sighed.

"Not funny," she said, "Now lift it up so I can see how bad it is."

He did as she asked and she saw a wound bleeding copiously from his right side. She looked around for something to stanch the flow.

She looked up to see Elizabeth standing next to her, the blood drained out of her face while Ginger ran from across the room.

"What the hell just happened," she said.

C.J. looked up.

"One of you call 911," she said, "He needs an ambulance now."

"C.J…" Matt started to say.

"The paramedics are on their way," she said, her hands on his chest, "Jason's going after the guy."

Matt raised his head.

"Alone?"

"He called for backup," C.J. said, "Hopefully he called in for medical help because everyone here's too busy gawking at you to make the call."

"I'm fine," he insisted.

C.J. looked at the blood streaming from his side and tried to keep her own fear in check.

"Yeah right," she said, looking up at Elizabeth who hadn't moved, "Get me a towel or two, anything to press on the wound."

"Okay, how bad is it," Matt said, sounding weaker.

She looked but it was difficult to tell. Finally, someone got her a towel and she pressed it against his body but the blood soaked through fairly quickly. She closed her eyes briefly and prayed that the paramedics would hurry.

Suddenly after what seemed like forever, some paramedics rolled up with a stretcher. C.J. hadn't heard the sirens. She allowed them to move in and take over, but she held onto his hand.

"What's his BP?"

"130/ 70 but it's falling," one paramedic said, unstrapping the gadget from his arm, "Heart rate over 120."

"Do you have any allergies, Mr. Houston," someone asked him.

"No."

"Any prior medical history?"

"I've been shot a few times," he said.

The paramedics looked at each other.

"He's serious," C.J. said, "He's a private investigator. It comes with the job."

One of them nodded and then reached for some gauze.

"C.J…" Matt called.

"I'm right here," she said, "I'm not going anywhere."

* * *

Elizabeth backed away from the scene, clutching her hands. Ginger pulled out her flask.

"Want some?"

Elizabeth shook her head.

"He's going to be all right," Ginger said, "A big strapping man like him isn't going to be stopped by a bullet."

Elizabeth had watched the emergency unfold quietly but then started to lose it.

"Why does this always happen," she said, "Someone is always trying to shoot him."

"You know it's his line of work," Ginger said, "It attracts dangerous people of all kinds and sometimes you get burned as they say."

"What if he dies?"

"He's not going to die," Ginger said, "He's answering the paramedics' questions. That's a good sign."

"He could still die," Elizabeth said, watching them work, "despite every effort to save him."

* * *

C.J. watched the paramedics work on trying to stop the bleeding, as they prepared to put him on a stretcher to take to the hospital.

"I'm not leaving him," she told a paramedic who didn't argue with her. As she stood up, she saw Jason.

"Did you get the guy," she asked.

He shook his head.

"I chased him into an alley and lost him," Jason said, "He hopped a fence."

"I'm going with him," she said, "I'll give my statement later."

He nodded.

"How is he?"

"They think the bullet just missed him," she said, "but they still got to sew him up and prevent infection."

"Another scar to add to his collection," Joseph said, dryly.

C.J. had to smile at that despite the gravity of the situation. Both she and Matt had their own collections of scars from their livelihood but neither would give it up to do anything else.

She turned away from where her thoughts were taking her and walked up to a paramedic.

"I'm riding with him to the hospital," she said.

The paramedic just nodded, in no mood to argue with her. Two of them rolled the stretcher towards the ambulance. C.J. started to follow but not before telling Elizabeth and Ginger the name of the hospital where Matt would be taken.

She stepped up in the ambulance and found a spot in the cramped space to sit beside him. He reached for her hand and she found his, holding it tight all the way to the hospital while the paramedic worked on him.


	2. Chapter 2

Here's part two of this FF story from the past. I hope you like it and thanks for reading.

* * *

Ginger pushed the pedal to the floor as she and Elizabeth raced to the hospital where the ambulance was taking Matt.

"He's going to be all right," Ginger said.

Elizabeth just sat in her seat and said nothing.

"Really, he's a big strong man," Ginger said, "He'll bounce back from this setback just fine."

Elizabeth looked out the window.

"He just looked so weak lying on the ground bleeding like that," she said, "Why would anyone want to hurt him?"

Ginger looked over at her friend.

"Because he's a private investigator and that's a dangerous job," she said, "He's been shot at before, you know that and he's still running around getting into more dangerous situations."

Elizabeth sighed.

"I just couldn't bear it if anything terrible happened to him," she said, "I don't know if I could stand it."

Ginger turned off the main street.

"Elizabeth, honey, we've had this discussion before," she said, "You know there are situations like this in your future if you marry him. You said you would accept that."

Elizabeth nodded.

"I know," she said, "and I plan to do just that. I won't let him even know I'm upset."

Ginger approached the hospital's ER entrance.

"That's what he needs right now," she said, "and you have to do that for him."

* * *

The ambulance sped to the hospital and C.J. stayed with Matt the entire time. The paramedics had stopped the bleeding and she realized that once the doctors checked him out and stitched him up, he'd be sent home to recover with a batch of prescriptions. If they asked him to stay overnight for observation, they would just find themselves talking to a brick wall. Matt hated hospitals and in order to get him to comply with that request, he'd have to be tied down to the bed.

C.J. had to laugh when she thought about the last several times he'd been injured enough to face hospitalization and had jumped out of bed in his gown, trying to find his own clothes even if that meant flashing his backside to the medical staff. Not that he didn't own an impressive one but the nurses had been too busy trying to rope him in to notice.

Matt saw her smile to herself and looked up.

"What are you smiling at?"

She looked down at him and squeezed his hand tighter.

"I was picturing you already planning your getaway from the hospital before you even get there."

He grimaced.

"I might be thinking about that," he admitted.

"You're lucky this time," she said, "It's only a flesh wound, looks worse than it is."

"Felt like I got slammed," he said, "but I think the bullet just missed me."

She stroked his forehead.

"Not quite," she said.

"Hey, I'm still here in one piece," he said, "There's nothing to worry about."

The paramedic moved in to take his blood pressure again. C.J. watched him, her heart beat finally settling back to normal for the first time since he'd been shot. Matt just lay on the stretcher watching the emotions play across her face.

And then he closed his eyes and remembered.

* * *

Matt sat in the examination room as the doctor sewed his wound up and the nurse prepared to bandage it.

"So what's the verdict?"

The doctor looked at him, solemnly.

"It missed a few internal organs and exited where it entered," he said, "A couple of inches and you'd be in surgery."

The nurse prepared some injections. Matt held up his hand.

"Wait, what are those?"

She smiled at him.

"A strong dose of antibiotics to ward off infection and a tetanus shot," she said, "You'll also be getting some prescription medicine for any pain."

"I feel fine," Matt protested, and then grimaced when his movement caused a stab of pain tearing through him.

"Mr. Houston, you're going to have to take it easy and get plenty of rest for a few days," the doctor said, "You might want to take some time off from your job."

Matt grimaced again.

"I can't," he said, "I've got a lot of cases piled up and most of them involve field work."

The doctor didn't appear moved by Matt's words.

"If you don't take it easy, you risk undoing my nice needlework on your side," he said, "And that will make me very unhappy."

"I'll live with that," Matt said, "I can't let my clients down."

The doctor folded his arms.

"We heard all about your reputation Mr. Houston for leaving hospitals after being admitted so we're allowing you to leave despite our better judgment."

"I told you I feel a lot better," Matt said.

"We won't be taking any responsibility if you put yourself in a situation where you worsen your injury," the doctor warned, handing him paperwork to sign.

Matt sighed, trying to sit up to sign the document. It took several efforts to get there.

"I'm glad we got that all settled. Now where can I find my shirt?"

* * *

C.J. sat in the waiting room while Roy went to get everyone some coffee from the machine. She had called him after they had arrived and had caught him working in the office. He of course had dropped everything to head to the hospital. Elizabeth and Ginger had arrived shortly afterward and were sitting across the room.

C.J. rubbed her shoulders and looked up as she saw Roy approach.

"I got you some tea," he said, handing her a cup.

She thanked him and he went to give some coffee to the other women before rejoining C.J.

"He's going to be just fine," Roy said.

She nodded.

"The bullet just missed him," she said, "but there was still a lot of bleeding."

"My nephew's a strong man," Roy said, "How are you holding up?"

She sipped her tea.

"I'm fine," she said, "It's just been a long day."

"And you just got back from another business trip," Roy said, "You must be tired."

She shrugged him off.

"Really I'm fine," she said, "I'll feel better when they let him go home."

* * *

Ginger looked over at C.J. and Roy.

"They're probably used to these hospital vigils," she said.

Elizabeth wrapped her arms around herself.

"I'd never get used to it," she said, "I'm a nervous wreck."

"Elizabeth, remember what you said," Ginger said, "that you were willing to take this on as a part of being in his life."

Elizabeth shook her red curls.

"He never did respond to what I told him about the wedding," she said, "He just seemed so shocked with what I said and then he ran off when the waiter said there was trouble."

"That was C.J. and her friend following some guy into the hallway," Ginger said, "then I heard a gun being fired."

"It's so shocking that something so violent could happen in such a nice restaurant," Elizabeth said.

"They never mentioned that in the reviews," Ginger said.

Elizabeth stood up and started pacing.

"When will the doctor come out and tell us what's going on?"

Ginger looked around the waiting room.

"I think the doctor said earlier that the bullet hadn't caused any major damage."

"That was hours ago," Elizabeth said, "When are we going to receive an update?"

Ginger looked up at her friend and patted the chair.

"Sit down," she said, "There's no point in getting yourself worked up. That's not helping matters and it's smearing your makeup."

"I'll try," Elizabeth said, "but this is just so difficult."

Ginger rubbed her shoulder.

"I'll go and talk to C.J. and see if she's heard anything."

Elizabeth just looked up at her and nodded.

Ginger left her and walked over to where C.J. and Roy sat, talking. She sat down across from them.

"I was hoping we would receive some more news on his condition," she said.

C.J. and Roy looked at each other.

"He's going to be okay," C.J. said, "They're sewing him up and then they'll send him home."

Ginger looked at her puzzled.

"You're pretty calm about all this," she said, "I thought you were his best friend."

C.J. just looked at her.

"I've seen him through much worse," C.J. said, "This isn't that bad. It could have been more serious."

"What was he doing anyway," Ginger said, "confronting a man with a gun."

"He didn't have time to confront anyone," C.J. said, "The man shot him when he first showed up in the hallway."

Ginger narrowed her eyes.

"What were you doing there," she said, "if you knew the guy had a gun?"

"We thought we recognized him," she said, "but he acted very suspiciously so we followed him."

Roy smiled at Ginger.

"My nephew's going to get out of here and be back at work this time tomorrow," he said, "He never lets anything stop him."

"How's Elizabeth holding up," C.J. asked.

Ginger looked over at her friend.

"She's doing just fine," she said, "in fact, she's not too worried at all."

C.J. nodded.

"Well that's the first step towards accepting his life," she said, "because there's going to be plenty of moments like this one."

Ginger considered that.

"If you can handle it, then Elizabeth can."

C.J. sighed.

"It's not a contest," she said, "It's just something she's going to have to learn to face if she stays with him."

Ginger folded her arms.

"What's it to you anyway," she said, "what's your stake in all this, really?"

"I told you, I'm his friend," C.J. said, "I care a great deal about him and want him to be happy."

"Elizabeth can make him happy," Ginger countered, "and he can do the same for her."

Roy looked up and saw the doctor approach them.

"Here's Matt's doctor," he said, "Let's hear what he has to say."

They all gathered around him as he explained that Matt's injuries had been patched up and he would be sent home to recuperate. Everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

"He's been asking for a C.J. Parsons," the doctor said.

She looked up.

"That's me," she said.

"Come with me," the doctor said, "He wants to see you."

She nodded and followed him. The other women watched her leave.

"I guess we'll have to wait a little longer before we can see him," Elizabeth said.

Ginger patted her hands.

"He'll be ready to see us soon," she said, "Don't worry, he's probably just trying to make himself look presentable."

* * *

C.J. entered the examining room while Matt put on a shirt. She tried not to look at the bandage on his side.

"They let me borrow one," he explained, "since my shirt's got blood on it."

She smiled to swallow her fear.

"I never took you for a Dodger fan but it fits nicely."

"I could always switch teams," he said, "They have a chance at the pennant this year."

"Traitor," she said.

She began to relax. Matt seemed in pretty good spirits even though C.J. knew he must be feeling pain. Gunshot wounds were never fun experiences and she and Jason could just as easily been in Matt's place if events had turned out differently.

"C.J. how is Elizabeth holding up," he asked.

She tried to keep the smile on her face.

"She's doing as well as can be expected under the circumstances," she said, "You don't make things easy for the women in your life."

He looked contrite.

"How are you doing?"

She started pacing in the small room.

"I'm fine," she said, "I just got a little bit nervous when I saw the blood."

"I'm going to be okay," he insisted, "It just nicked me."

She nodded but he saw her shoulders shaking slightly.

"It could have been worse," she said, "but you scared me."

He grabbed her hands in his own.

"I never meant to do that."

"I know," she said squeezing his hands before pulling free, "but it doesn't change that."

He frowned at her withdrawal but didn't bring it up.

"You need these to get out of here," she said, handing him his shoes.

Matt put them on while she watched him.

"C.J. what were doing in the hallway with Jason and that man?"

"We saw him approach a woman in the bar," she said, "and both of us thought we recognized him."

That surprised him enough to forget that his side ached.

"What do you mean you recognized him?"

She shrugged.

"I don't know," she said, "He just looked familiar so we followed him out to the hallway and he drew his gun."

"Why didn't you let Jason handle it?"

She raised a brow at him.

"Why didn't you?"

He sighed, not wanting to get into it with her. She looked away, regretting her statement.

"I know it's not your fault," she said, "You didn't even have time to do anything."

"He did react very quickly when I arrived," Matt said, "Did Jason catch up to him?"

She shook her head.

"They're out looking for him," she said, "but the police don't have much to go on."

He got off of the examination table, wincing as he did so.

"Houston, what are you doing?"

"I'm going to go to the office and get on Baby to see if I can turn up anything on this guy," Matt said.

"The doctor told you that you needed to take it easy," she said, even though she knew it was futile.

"I need to find out who tried to kill me," he pressed, "and who pulled a gun on you."

"You mean Jason," she said, "I was just there."

He stroked her face.

"That was closer than I like," he said, heading to the door.

"Then I'm going to help you," she said, following him.

He turned around.

"C.J. you're exhausted," he said, "You need to go home and rest."

She glared at him.

"You've just been shot and you're not letting it stop you. Now get out of my way."

He smiled despite himself. He loved her stubbornness even as it scared him sometimes.

"You need to talk to Elizabeth," C.J. said, "She's waiting for you in the other room."

Matt sighed.

"I don't have enough time now to have the conversation that I need to have with her."

She brushed her hair away.

"Matt, she loves you and you love her," she said, "Isn't that what matters?"

She walked past him not waiting for an answer and he shook his head.

"I think we're going need to have a conversation too."

She turned around and pointed her finger at him.

"Don't even say it," she said.

* * *

Elizabeth smiled from where she sat in the waiting room as Matt approached her. She saw C.J. walk over to Roy after throwing Matt a look. What was that about, Elizabeth wondered before she stood up to embrace Matt.

"I'm so glad that you're okay," she said, grabbing him tightly, "Now let's get out of here and take you home where you can get some rest."

Matt pulled from the embrace to look at her.

"Elizabeth…I can't," he said, "C.J .and I are going to the office to dig up some more information on the shooter from Baby."

Elizabeth looked crestfallen which sent pangs of guilt through Matt.

"Why," she said, "You should let the police handle it. You were nearly killed tonight."

"But I wasn't," he said, "I'm here and I'm fine but I've got to catch this guy before he hurts anyone else."

"What about C.J.'s police friend," she said, "Isn't he going to investigate it?"'

Matt nodded.

"But there's not much in the way of leads," he said, "Both he and C.J. recognized the guy but they don't know from where."

"Can't you leave it up to them to figure that out," she said, "and focus your attention on getting better?"

Matt shifted his stance.

"I can't do that," he said, "If I hadn't been there, he might have killed C.J. or Jason and I need to find out why he drew his gun so quickly."

Elizabeth took a deep breath and exhaled it out slowly as if to collect her thoughts.

"So this is about C.J. then."

He looked up at her startled.

"It's about a bad guy running around loose with a gun."

She turned away from him.

"Why is your focus always on her, Matt?"

"What, on C.J.," he said, "Why are you asking that?"

She faced him again, pain etched on her face.

"Because you always run to her when anything happens," Elizabeth said, "even if it means dropping everything."

"She's my best friend Elizabeth," he said, "She's been most of my life."

"No she's not," Elizabeth said, "She's something more than that."

Matt looked at her puzzled.

"Why would you say that?"

She started to say something and then she stopped and just smiled.

"Nothing. After you and C.J. get done, maybe we can talk," she said.

Ginger walked up to them.

"What's going on here," she said, "Don't tell me you're running off after just getting shot."

"Just for a few hours," Matt said, "We'll be at the office trying to find out information on the guy."

"But it's the middle of the night," Ginger protested.

"It's fine Ginger," Elizabeth said, "Matt, why don't we meet for brunch tomorrow and talk then?"

He hedged for a second.

"All right," he said, "How about at the Country Club?"

She nodded.

"I'll see you then."

She and Ginger left the waiting room and Roy walked up to Matt.

"I see that you've reassured Elizabeth that you're okay."

Matt gave his uncle a funny look.

"Did you think I wouldn't?"

He shook his head, smiling.

"No, I knew you'd try to make her feel better," he said, "That's the kind of son your father raised."

"Are you trying to tell me something," Matt said, "Because you might as well just come out and say it."

Roy thought about it and then proceeded carefully.

"You've got a lot on your plate right now Matlock," he said, "including three women."

"Well there's Elizabeth…"

"Not just her," Roy interrupted.

"Uncle Roy, she's the one I almost married."

"Almost," Roy said, "but you didn't did you?"

Matt sighed.

"Look, C.J. and I need to go pick up our cars at the restaurant so we can head to the office and do some work."

"I know better than to try and stop you once you've got your mind made up on something but remember what the doctor told you."

Matt gritted his teeth.

"I will get some rest…after I find out who this guy is that shot me."

"It's not just you," Roy said, "C.J.'s already had a full day and you know she won't go home until you do."

Matt ran his hand through his hair.

"Yeah I know that," he said, "This is her last trip for a while."

"Was that her choice?"

"She's been overextended since we got back from Tahiti," he said, "If I need more depositions taken, I'll just fly the people out here on the jet."

C.J. walked up to them.

"Are you ready to go," she said, "I called a cab to take us to the restaurant to get our cars. Are you sure you're up to driving?"

"I'm sure," he said, "Let's go."

* * *

C.J. booted up Baby at the office while Matt made them some tea. Matt looked at it with distaste as he brought it to the couch where she sat. She tilted her head to look at him, trying to hold back her laughter.

"What's the matter," she said, "You know the doctor doesn't want you to mix your pain medication with alcohol."

He sat down beside her.

"Doesn't mean I have to like it."

"This is herbal tea Houston," she said, "It's really quite soothing after an arduous, long day."

He still didn't trust it.

"Wouldn't you rather have some brandy?"

She wrinkled her face.

"Not right now," she said, "I think I'll stick with tea."

She clicked some keys and pictures started to show up on the huge screen in front of them.

"Where shall we start," she asked.

He thought about it.

"Maybe I should ask you," he said, "You were the one who thought he looked familiar."

"Houston, I don't know from where," she said, "Nothing comes to mind. It was more like a gut feeling."

"The best kind."

"Yeah, but it doesn't really help much does it," she said.

"He didn't look American."

She nodded.

"Maybe Russian or Eastern European," she said, "He had an accent but I'm not sure where he's from."

"Why don't we start with Interpol then," he said, and her fingers moved across the keyboard again.

About a dozen faces popped up on the screen.

"I think that's the latest most wanted list," Matt said, "The one on the upper left side looks promising. Start with him."

C.J. clicked the key which enlarged his photo and then found a dossier on him.

"It's not him."

Matt examined the photo closer.

"He's into arms sales," he said, "His primary market is Latin America."

They searched more faces, more records but came up empty.

"Guess he hasn't caught their attention yet," Matt said.

C.J. rubbed her eyes, suddenly feeling dizzy. Matt looked over at her.

"Are you okay?"

She looked at him, nodding.

"Just a little tired," she said, "Nothing for you to worry about."

He narrowed his eyes.

"Should I be worried?"

She sighed.

"No Houston," she said, "I'm fine. Let's move on to the next database."

He shook his head.

"No, we're going to stop here for tonight."

"Why," she said, "We just got started."

"Because you're exhausted," he said, "and you've been that way for a while."

"Have not."'

"Have to," he said, "At least the traveling's done."

She shot him a piercing look.

"I beg your pardon?"

"C.J., you've been on too many business trips," he said, "You need a break."

"I'm fine," she said, "In fact, I could travel tomorrow if I had to."

"You don't have to," he said, "Is there any reason you want to?"

That stopped her. She looked down at her tea. "No…not really."

He just looked at her for a while.

"Are you trying to avoid something here in L.A.," he said, "like me?"

She looked at him suddenly.

"Why would you ask that?"

"Because I've barely seen you since Tahiti."

"What does that have to do with anything," she said, exasperated.

He looked at her quietly.

"Because of what happened there."

* * *

Elizabeth sighed as Ginger parked on her couch with a dish of her favorite snacks and wine to watch a movie, which naturally featured a variety of young men in various stages of dress romping on the screen.

"What's this movie about anyway," she asked.

Ginger snorted.

"Does it matter," she said, "It's all about the guys."

Elizabeth shook her head.

"I should head off to bed," she said, "I have an early brunch with Matt and I still haven't figured out what to tell him."

"That shouldn't be difficult," Ginger reasoned, "Just tell him what you're feeling only with some more finesse than you've shown so far."

"How do I do that Ginger," Elizabeth sighed, "I really blew it by not going through with the wedding."

"Maybe not," Ginger said, "but you do have some roadblocks on your path to bliss with your ex-fiancé."

Elizabeth looked depressed.

"Tell me what I don't know."

"Okay, you called off the wedding and your groom-to-be went on his honeymoon with his business partner and best friend."

"So what," Elizabeth said, "They're just friends after all. It's kind of like me going off to Mexico with you."

"Not unless you're into women," Ginger said, "I'm willing to bet that their post-aborted wedding junket was not like ours in one very important way."

Elizabeth looked aghast.

"You mean…"

"It's a possibility," Ginger said, counting off why with her manicured fingers, "After all, you've got a beautiful tropical island, you've got atmosphere, a gorgeous male specimen like Matt. Hell, I wouldn't be able to keep my hands off of him."

"So you think she made a play for him?"

Ginger nodded and fell her friend's heart sink from across the room.

"Elizabeth, honey," she said, "I know all about these affairs of the heart and…elsewhere. I've been on that ship many times myself and I'm telling you your ex-fiancé and his friend sailed it."

Elizabeth got up and started pacing.

"Oh I wouldn't know what to do if that were true," she said, "I've always suspected he had a thing for her. What will I do now?"

Ginger pulled on her arm until she sat back on the sofa.

"Elizabeth, relax. Maybe they did get it on in the tropics but they don't seem like a couple now, do they? Maybe it's just a one-time thing."

"Maybe…"

"Look, you have brunch tomorrow and you just act as if nothing's different between the two of you and see how he acts…"

Elizabeth brightened.

"Okay…"

"That's a good girl," she said, "and when you pick up those nonverbal cues from him, you'll know what to do."

"I hope so."

Ginger smiled.

"And after you come up with the right things to say to him, he'll be saying, 'C.J. who'?"

Elizabeth nodded because it was expected of her but she didn't feel too sure about that.

* * *

C.J. just looked at him, stunned by what he said.

"What do you mean," she said, "Why are you bringing up Tahiti?"

"Because I think it's been standing between us," he said.

"No it hasn't," she said, "We've been just fine since we got back."

Matt rubbed the bridge of his nose.

"I know what we said, but I don't think I can agree to that anymore."

"You said you would," she said, "That you wouldn't let it interfere with our friendship."

"But it has," he said, "Because one of us wants to forget it."

She shot him a dangerous look.

"I never said I wanted to forget it," she said, "It's just that the timing was all wrong."

He nodded, trying to follow along.

"Because of all this going on now."

"I was right," she said, "You've still got to work through your feelings for Elizabeth and her decision to leave you at the altar on your wedding day."

He struggled to hold onto his patience.

"I'm past all that."

She shook her head.

"No you're not," she said, "You're still in love with her. She still loves you. You've still got an opportunity to work it out."

He just stared at her.

"Can you honestly say that you don't want to do that?"

He looked away.

"That's what I thought," she said, "You'd be married right now if she hadn't stopped the wedding."

"Maybe not," he said, "Maybe I could never marry her."

"But you almost did," she said, "We were all there waiting for it to happen after the police carted Robert away."

"But it didn't," Matt said, "We are not getting married."

"Did you tell her that Houston," C.J. said, "because I think she's changed her mind about not marrying you."

"I haven't had a chance to really talk to her," Matt said, "I got shot tonight."

She sighed.

"I know," she said, "But you have a choice to make. Either you tell her that you'll marry her because you want to or you tell her you won't before she gets too invested in trying to make it happen."

He looked away.

"I care about her," he said, "I don't want to hurt her."

C.J. softened.

"I know but you're going to hurt her more if you don't make it clear to her what you want. And first, you have to be clear what it is that you want. Because part of you still wants to marry her."

"How do you figure that?"

"Because you are leaving her in a holding pattern until you figure out what you want," C.J. said.

She got up from the couch and walked out of the room. Roy walked in carrying a glass of his favorite guava juice, looking at her as she departed.

"I can't leave you two alone for two minutes…"

"It's nothing Uncle Roy," Matt said.

"You're drinking tea," Roy noted.

"What's wrong with that?"

Roy smiled.

"Oh nothing, nothing," he said, "It's much healthier than brandy."

Matt flashed a look of skepticism.

"I'll take your word for it."

"So what did you and C.J. find out about your shooter?"

Matt sighed.

"Nothing," he said, "I don't think this guy has a record or has left an electronic trail."

"He must have, unless he's an operative," Roy said, "Maybe he's just discrete."

"Maybe," Matt said doubtfully.

"Why did C.J. leave?"

Matt sipped his tea.

"That has to do with a different subject."

Roy just nodded.

"I thought so. She seemed a little cross with you but then you put her through a lot tonight."

"She thinks I want to get back together with Elizabeth," Matt said.

"Do you?"

"No," Matt said, "If you asked me a couple of months ago, my answer would have been different but now I don't want to get married."

"You want to be single and footloose free," Roy said, "Nothing wrong with that."

"That's not really it Uncle Roy."

"Oh?"

Matt just looked at his cup.

"Did something change," Roy asked.

"You could say that."

Roy paused.

"Does it have to do with what just happened here?"

"C.J.'s upset with me because she thinks I'm not being honest with Elizabeth about my intentions."

Roy sipped his glass.

"No, I think she's upset with you because you're not being honest with yourself."

That rankled Matt but he tried to remain calm.

"Elizabeth told me she wanted to prove that she could handle the danger and unpredictability in my career," Matt said, "I think I owe her that chance."

"You don't owe her anything, but the truth about how you feel about her Matlock," Roy said.

"I know that Uncle Roy..."

"And you owe C.J. the same thing," Roy said, quietly.

Now that comment startled Matt enough to put his cup of tea down.

"What the hell are you getting at," he said.

Roy nodded.

"That's a pretty strong response to my statement about showing your best friend since childhood the common courtesy of being honest to her about your feelings."

Matt calmed down.

"She knows my feelings," he said.

"I know what," C.J. said, walking back in the room.

Both Matt and Roy looked at her.

"I thought you left," Matt said.

She put her hands on her hips.

"I went to my office to get a copy of some spread sheets but I couldn't find them."

Matt shook his head.

"C.J., I told you I would handle them," he said, "You need to go home and get some sleep."

She sat down on the couch.

"I can take them home," she protested, "You've got an early brunch with Elizabeth."

"I can still do that and get them done," he said, "You look exhausted."

"We've been through this already Houston," she said, "I might be tired but you've been shot so I go home when you do."

"She's got you there Matlock," Roy said, hiding his smile.

"I'm going home pretty soon," Matt said, "I'm about done here."

She smiled.

"Good," she said, "You need to get some sleep before your brunch date."

"It's not a date," he said.

"Whatever," she said, "I just hope that after you're done, you'll take the rest of the day off from work and take it easy."

He shook his head.

"I can't do that C.J.," he said, "I have to find the shooter."

She sighed.

"Matt, he might truly be impossible to trace," she said, "and I don't want you to do anything that's going to put you back in the hospital again."

"I know you're concerned…"

"Yeah about the poor hospital staff," she said, "You're a difficult patient."

He winced.

"Well I think they all know that by now," he said, "I got some interesting looks last night."

"Houston, you need to stop pretending you didn't just get shot."

He turned his head around indignantly.

"I'm not but I can't let it stop me," he said, "I've got things to do."

"You don't have to run off and get yourself killed," she said.

That almost stopped him before he could say anything but not quite.

"C.J. what's going on here," he said, "This isn't like you."

"It's not like me to be worried," she responded, raising a brow, "Maybe I just don't always show it."

Something in her voice caught him.

"C.J…"

She held her hand up and shook her head.

"No I've got to go."

He watched her walk away and Roy sat with his drink watching both of them.

"You could have handled that better," Roy said.

Matt sighed, rubbing his head.

"Maybe."

"She's just worried about you," Roy said sipping his drink again.

"She doesn't need to be," Matt said, "I told her I'd be careful."

Roy couldn't believe his nephew could possibly be so dense.

"You know Matlock, C.J. has been right at your side the entire time that you've been at this detective thing."

Matt glared at his uncle.

"It's because she wanted to be."

"I know that," he said, "but she's been your right hand person the entire time you've had the agency and even before that, when you were running Houston Enterprises."

Matt nodded.

"I would have never made it as far as I have with either if she hadn't been."

"She's been abducted, shot at, nearly died a few times and what's harder for her, she's had to watch these same things happen to you."

"Okay I get that," Matt said, "What's your point?"

"That maybe it's just hard for her to have to worry about you sometimes but she doesn't want to show it."

Matt scratched his head.

"But that sounds like Elizabeth's problem," he said.

Roy raised a finger.

"Perhaps, but with one major difference," he said, "C.J. accepts the danger as part of your life and she would never try to force you to change who you are in order to feel safe herself."

Matt remained silent, knowing his uncle spoke the truth. C.J. worried about him just like he did about her but she accepted him for who he was and far from resenting his career, she embraced it as well. He knew she loved working with him on cases and got the same sort of fulfillment out of it as he did. But bewilderment still filled him because in the last day, he had seen a side of her he hadn't before in all the years they had worked together.

"I'm going home Uncle Roy," he said, picking up his workload including the spread sheets that he had promised C.J. he would handle himself.

Roy just nodded, knowing that Matt hadn't closed the door on the conversation they had just had. He knew his nephew would think about what he had told him but he would have to make some difficult admissions along the way.

Matt walked to the elevator, his side aching along with his head at the decisions he would have to make about his life.

* * *

C.J. tossed and turned in bed and then finally turned on the light. Rubbing her head, she decided that she needed to rein in the thoughts running through her mind enough so that she could get some sleep. She got out of bed and walked to her kitchen where she pulled a jug of milk out of the refrigerator so she could warm some on the stove. Sprinkle in a bit of cinnamon and she would have a beverage that would relax her enough to settle her into sleep. Annoyance swept through her as she realized that most of her thoughts had centered on Matt and the argument they had had at the office.

Why was she letting what he said get to her? They'd argued enough in the past though they never stayed angry with each other for very long. This whole situation with Elizabeth and the interrupted wedding had blown over or so she thought until Matt's ex-fiancée showed up in his office. She had watched his face when he spoke with her and had realized that whether he knew it or not, he still had feelings for her.

But then in the office Matt had told her that he wasn't sure that he could stick to their agreement about Tahiti a topic _he_ had brought up. That had floored her because he had made that statement even though Elizabeth had reemerged in his life. As far as C.J. was concerned, that was all the more reason to not bring the subject up at all but relegate it to the past where it belonged; where they had both agreed that it belonged. And life had returned to normal when they arrived back home in L.A. and went straight back to work as if everything had stayed the same.

She poured the warm milk into a mug and sipped it slowly, sitting down on her couch. Rubbing the back of her neck, she tried to loosen her tight muscles which only added to her fatigue. She had been traveling pretty much nonstop during the past month and had taken depositions for quite a few cases. She enjoyed her work but she wanted to slow down for a while. Perhaps she would take a trip up the coast and visit Gracie and have some fun away from the chaos of L.A. And leave Matt to figure his life out down here and decide whether or not he had a future with Elizabeth. Now, she thought as she took her warm milk back to the bedroom, there was a plan.

* * *

Matt looked at his watch. He had actually managed to navigate his way through morning traffic to get to the Country Club on time for brunch. Sitting at a table by the window, Matt appreciated the view of the impressive golf course while waiting for Elizabeth to join him.

"Matt, I'm sorry I'm late," she said, "The traffic…"

He nodded and got up to pull a seat for her.

"I'm just happy you got here."

She flipped her hair behind her shoulders.

"The spread here looks amazing," she said, as a waiter came to take their drink order.

Both of them ordered Bloody Marys.

"Since my uncle's been out here, we've been doing more golfing," Matt said.

"That's good," she said, "It's a good sport for making business contacts."

Matt supposed that were true but he mostly did it because it gave him and his uncle an opportunity to spend time together.

"Elizabeth, what did you want to talk to me about?"

She shook her head.

"Let's get some breakfast first."

And they did, filling their plates with sumptuous fruit, eggs and other buffet dishes.

"How's your side doing," she asked while taking a bite of an omelet.

"Better," he said, "I can barely feel it."

She looked at him, her smile tinged with worry.

"I was so worried about you," she said, "and I didn't handle it very well but I'm trying."

He stopped mid-bite.

"You did fine," he said, "and as you can see, I'm doing much better."

She still looked uneasy although she tried to hide it.

"I wish I could deal with the unpredictability and the danger as well as C.J. does."

"She's used to it," he said, "You're not and even she reads me the riot act every once in a while."

"She seemed so calm last night," Elizabeth noted.

"She gets angry at me sometimes and lets me know it," Matt said, "but she picks her battles."

Elizabeth looked out of the window at the golf course for a moment and then looked back at him, her eyes all serious.

"Matt, I…"

"What?"

Then he saw movement out of the corner of his eye.

* * *

C.J. got off the elevator and headed to her office. She planned to call Gracie later in the day when she finished a pile of paperwork and tell her that she would be heading up to San Francisco for a visit. Chris handed her some slips of paper as soon as she passed the receptionist desk.

"A couple phone calls and Jason called twice," Chris said.

It must be about what happened last night. She hoped he had called with good news like an arrest or at least a lead concerning the guy who had shot Matt. Then she could tell Matt before he ran off and did something dangerous. She understood his need to go after his assailant but she hoped this time that he would leave the field work up to the professionals like Jason. On a good day, Matt could handle anyone and anything but not on the day after he had nearly bled to death from a gunshot wound.

She heard the elevator beep from behind her and she turned around and saw Ginger flouncing out into the suite. She rolled her eyes, but tried to smile.

"Ginger, what brings you here?"

Ginger looked at her and then around the spacious suite.

"I thought I'd drop by and see what everyone's up to when the boss is away."

C.J. felt annoyance creep up.

"We're all very busy," she said, "and we're putting in a full day."

"Hopefully, Matt and Elizabeth are having a good time at brunch," Ginger said.

"I'm sure they did," C.J. said, sifting through her messages.

"That doesn't bother you?"

C.J. lifted her head and looked at Ginger, puzzled.

"Why should it?"

"Ginger pursed her lips.

"Because you don't want him and Elizabeth to get back together."

C.J. laughed.

"Why would you think that?"

Ginger studied her carefully.

"Because you just seem different than the last time I saw you."

C.J. shrugged.

"I don't know how that would be," she said, "Now excuse me, but I've got phone calls to return."

She walked away from Ginger and her vivid imagination and taste for innuendo into her office.

She called Jason first.

"I hope this is good news," she said.

"No arrests yet and ballistics hasn't told us much but the DOJ is still testing the slug," he said.

"Where did they find it?"

"In the wall back towards the bar."

"So it went through Houston and just got stuck there?"

"Yeah," he said, "It might be from a foreign made handgun but we're not sure which country."

"You have to find him before Houston takes off looking for him," she said, "He's just out of the hospital and currently staying out of trouble having brunch with Elizabeth."

"The ex-fiancée."

"I just don't want anything to happen to him."

"How's he doing," Joseph asked.

"They stitched him up and sent him home," C.J. said, "They wanted to keep him overnight but you know Houston."

"I do," Jason said, "and you're going to have to let him do his thing because you can't stop him."

"I know," she said, "It's like trying to stop a stampeding bull."

"That's one way to put it," Jason said dryly.

* * *

Matt looked up and saw the man grab the lady's purse. She had been focused on slipping pieces of bacon to her toy poodle on her lap that she had never seen him creep up to give her personal belongings a closer look. Next thing she knew, she felt movement and turned around and saw the man take off with it.

Watching him, Matt sighed, threw down his napkin and turned to Elizabeth.

"I'll be right back."

As he got up from his seat, Elizabeth's face filled with dismay.

"Matt No…."

He started running, gingerly because his side still hurt but he sped up as he ran through the dining room towards the hallway into the kitchen. He saw the man disappear inside and then smashed into the double doors himself, narrowly missing a cook carrying a tray of croissants just out of the oven. Matt sidestepped him, wincing at the pain that stitched through his torso. The man sprinted out of the other doors which led into an employee parking lot and then the golf course.

A security guard exited a golf cart and tried to block Matt.

"What's going on here," he demanded.

Matt just pointed at the man running away.

"He took this lady's purse," he said, in between breaths.

The guard looked at him funny.

"Are you hurt?"

"No," Matt said, "Old battle wound."

"Get in the cart," the guard said, "We can cut him off near the lake."

Matt climbed aboard and the guard gunned the accelerator to the floor and the cart burned rubber as it veered around the one-lane road towards the lake.

"He's getting away," Matt said.

The guard jerked the steering wheel to the right.

"He won't make it," the guard said, and sure enough after they drove around another long sweeping curb and drove the cart onto the green itself, they made up valuable distance. The man with the purse looked up at them as if stunned to see them and took off in the other direction. The guard stopped the cart and both of them jumped off to run after him, with Matt in the lead. Matt tried to pick it up just a bit more and then leapt towards the bandit. They both went down on the green not far from a group of early rising golfers who just stared at them as they rolled around with one trying to flee and the other trying to stop him.

The thief struggled mightily and Matt dodged a couple fist blows aimed at his face. Then the man grabbed him by the sides of his shirt and Matt flinched as a stab of pain hit him. The guard joined him and finally together, they were able to pin the thief on the green.

"You've got something that belongs to one of our guests," the guard said, "You know what I'm talking about, right?"

The thief just looked at him as if he had sprung horns.

"Don't give me that," he said, "This man here, saw you steal a woman's purse," he said, grabbing the purse away from the thief.

He showed it to Matt.

"Is this what you saw stolen?"

Matt nodded, picking himself off the ground. He felt sore all over and as he looked at the mud and grass stains on his clothes, he wondered for the first time how he was going to explain this to Elizabeth.

* * *

The phone rang at the office and Chris forwarded it to C.J. who sat filling out some forms that had sat on her desk for a week.

"Houston, is that you," she said, "Where are you?"

He hesitated.

"I'm about to take another trip to the hospital."

Alarm filled her but she forced herself to calm down.

"What happened," she said, "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine…It's just that…"

She sighed.

"You tore out your stitches, didn't you?"

He had to admit it.

"Not all of them," he said, "I'm just going to get them fixed up a bit."

"What did you do," she asked, running her hand through her hair.

"I have to catch up with a thief," Matt said.

"A thief at the Country Club," she said, "What did he steal?"

"A woman's purse," he answered.

"Where's Elizabeth?"

"She's taking me to the hospital."

"How's she taking it," C.J. asked.

"Better than I expected," he said, "We'll be back in the office soon."

"Are you sure you're going to be okay," C.J. said.

"I'll be fine," he said, "See you later."

Matt hung up the phone.

"We'd better get going," Elizabeth said, "You need to get a doctor to look at it."

He nodded and they began to walk to the car. A club physician had placed a pressure bandage on his injury to stop the bleeding. Now all he needed was to get it stitched back up and then he'd be as good as new.

"The police came and picked up the thief," the guard said as they passed him, "He's off to jail."

"Did the woman get her purse back?"

The guard nodded.

"She asked if you were okay and to give you this," he said, handing Matt a $20 bill.

Matt looked at it and then tucked it in his wallet.

"Matt, are you ready," Elizabeth asked.

He nodded and they walked out to her car, with him holding his side and she grabbing onto his other arm.

"You don't have to do this," he said, "I could drive myself."

"Are you kidding Matt," she said, "The doctor's going to have to fix you up again."

"He'll probably take one look at me and charge me double," Matt said, as they reached her vehicle.

"Matt, you shouldn't joke about this," Elizabeth said, "You could have hurt yourself worse."

He moved into the passenger seat as she started up the car.

"Elizabeth, it's no big deal," he said, "I've been shot before and I've been beat up before and I'm still here."

"The day might come when you aren't," she said, her hands gripping the steering wheel, "and then what?"

"That could happen in any profession," he said, "I could be hit by a car stepping off the curb tomorrow."

"It's not the same thing," she said, "Matt, I don't want you to give up what you love but I just want you to be safe."

Matt felt frustration course though his body but he knew her concerns were valid. Most women who he had been serious about in the last several years experienced the same feelings about him being in dangerous situations or bringing danger home.

He tried to come up with some words to reassure her but once again they failed him.

* * *

Ginger looked at C.J. incredulously.

"You're not running to the hospital to get him," she said.

C.J. shook her head.

"He's just called and said that he's okay," she said, "It's better to let him take care of himself and keep things here until he gets back."

Ginger folded her arms.

"I hope Elizabeth doesn't share your attitude."

"If she doesn't develop a thick skin," C.J. said, "then she'll never last with him. She'll have to figure out when Houston needs her and when he doesn't."

"Like you?"

C.J. shrugged.

"I've known him for years," she said, "I've had plenty of practice."

Roy walked in with a stack of folders.

"I found these records in the file room," he said, dropping them on her desk, "How about the others?"

She ran her hand through her hair.

"They can wait," she said, "thanks."

Ginger turned to face Roy.

"You're staying here as if nothing happened and not going to see if your nephew's all right," she said.

"He's fine," Roy said, "and he'll be back in the office soon enough."

She shook her head.

"I can't believe you two," she said, "Matt's in the hospital and you're standing here talking about files."

"You explain it to her," C.J. said, as she left her office.

Ginger followed her out.

"I thought you really cared about him," she said.

C.J. turned around to face her.

"Of course I do," she said, "but part of that is waiting here for him to come back when they're done bandaging him up."

"At least Elizabeth is with him," Ginger said.

C.J. suddenly felt dizzy so she sat down on the couch.

"What's the matter with you," Ginger said, looking at her.

C.J. hoped she wouldn't faint.

"Nothing…," she said, rubbing her forehead, "I'm fine."

"You sure?"

C.J. nodded.

"I'll get you some juice," Roy said, going to the refrigerator at the wet bar.

"Thanks," C.J. said, "but I'm fine really."

Roy smiled.

"I know that," he said, "and Matt's going to be just fine too."

Matt put his jacket back on after the doctor stitched him back up shaking his head the entire time.

"What guarantee do I have that you won't be back tomorrow," the doctor had said.

"I'm just trying to do my job," Matt had responded.

The doctor sighed and then gave him some more paperwork to sign before leaving.

He left the examination room, his second time in less than 24 hours followed by Elizabeth.

"I'm going back to the office after I get my car," he said.

"Matt you can't be serious," Elizabeth said.

"Elizabeth, I'm fine now," he said, "I've got to find out who shot me and why."

"Confronting that man could be very dangerous," she warned.

"He pulled a gun on C.J. and Jason," Matt reminded her, "with no good reason."

"He's a criminal," Elizabeth said, "isn't that reason enough?"

* * *

C.J. sipped the juice that Roy handed to her slowly and started to feel better. She really didn't know what had come over her, but chalked it up to the stress that Matt's shooting had put her through mixed with the remnants of jet lag. Ginger eyed her carefully.

"Are you okay now," she asked.

"Of course I am," C.J. said, "I just felt a little lightheaded. I didn't eat much this morning."

Ginger didn't look too sure.

"Maybe you should go see a doctor."

C.J. shook her head adamantly on that. She hated going to go running to a doctor for every little thing. She had spent enough time in hospitals for job-related injuries and disliked them as much as Matt did.

"I'm fine," she said, "Juice hit the spot."

The elevator door opened and Matt walked out followed by Elizabeth.

"Matt, I'm not telling you how to live your life," she said.

"I told you, I'm fine," Matt said.

Ginger looked at C.J.

"I'm sure the entire brunch didn't go that way."

C.J. shook her head.

"She needs to learn when to back off a little bit and give him room."

Ginger chuckled.

"At least she was at the hospital," she said.

Matt walked up to them.

"C.J., did you have any luck with those files?"

She nodded.

"They're sitting on your desk," she said, "Uncle Roy helped me find them."

"Thanks," he said, then looked at her, "How are you doing?"

She looked at him back.

"How are _you _doing," she asked, "You were the one who tore your stitches out this time."

"I'm fine," he said, "Doctor wasn't too happy that I messed up his work but he sewed me up again."

She sighed.

"I don't blame him Houston."

"Look, I'm fine and I'm ready to go back to work on finding out who shot me," Matt said.

"You need to relax," C.J. said.

Ginger reached into her purse and took out a nail file.

"You both need to take some time off," she said, "What with him getting shot and you fainting."

Matt's brows rose.

"You fainted?"

C.J. felt her face flush at the concern in his voice.

"No…I just felt lightheaded," she said, "I'm fine now."

"Why don't you take a couple of days off?"

She met his gaze.

"I will when you will."

Both knew that would never happen not with the current workload at the office not to mention a shooter on the loose.

Ginger shook her head.

"You both are pieces of work," she said, "I think Elizabeth and I will do something productive like check out the new exhibit at the art museum."

Matt smiled.

"Why don't you do that," he said, "and we can all meet for dinner later on."

Ginger looked at him skeptically.

"If we do, nothing's going to happen is it?"

C.J. tried to keep from laughing.

"No, I promise you a quiet dinner this time," Matt said, "C.J. and I will meet you at the art museum later on."

C.J. arched her eyebrow up.

"We will Houston?"

He turned to look at her.

"Unless you want to go with them now," he said, "You're working too hard here if you're having fainting spells."

"I'm not having fainting spells," she protested, "I'm just tired from my trip and I've got work that I've got to do here."

Her phone rang from the office.

"I've got to get that," she said leaving them.

Elizabeth walked towards Matt.

"So what do we do now?"

Ginger grabbed her arm.

"Why don't we head off to the museum and let these two…get to work?"

Elizabeth looked at Matt.

"We haven't finished our discussion."

He looked at his watch.

"I've got a couple hours of work to do here," he said, "I'll see you later and we can pick up where we left off, okay?"

* * *

C.J. picked up the phone and heard Gracie's cheerful voice.

"So when you are coming up to see me?"

"I've got a lot of work to do," C.J. said, "and I don't know if I can get away."

"That's too bad," Gracie said, "It's been a while since we've hung out."

"Too long," C.J. agreed, then got an idea, "Why don't you come down here? It's not as great as San Francisco but L.A.'s really not that bad."

Gracie thought about it…for about two seconds.

"Sure, I'd love to come down there and paint the town red."

"That'd be great," C.J. said, looking at her calendar.

"Are you okay C.J?"

C.J. detected a note of worry in her friend's voice.

"I'm fine," she said, "but there's something I did want to talk about."

"What is it?"

C.J. hedged.

"I'll tell you when you get here."


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3---Here's the latest installment of my FF story from the past. I hope you enjoy it and thanks for the comments!

* * *

Elizabeth and Ginger parked their car and then walked into the art museum. They moved through the different rooms which housed the different exhibits from all over the world. Not surprisingly, Ginger hovered near the sculptures including a rendition of Michelangelo's David. Elizabeth just rolled her eyes at her friend.

Ginger posed next to "David" in a way that almost made Elizabeth pretend she didn't know her.

"Remind you of someone you know?"

Elizabeth just shook her head at her friend and stepped away.

"Get your mind out of the gutter," she said.

Ginger rolled her eyes.

"You're going to have to really work hard on the ground you lost with Matt."

They approached a life-sized sculpture of Alexander the Great's horse.

"He seemed receptive to what I said," Elizabeth said, "but then I started worrying about the danger he faces and it shows."

Ginger clucked her tongue.

"What am I always telling you," she said, "Well, you've got to find a different topic of discussion the next time you spend time with him so you don't go into a panic."

"I know," Elizabeth said, "I'm not going to mention his job, not once at dinner tonight. I know I can do it."

Her friend nodded approvingly.

"Just keep feeding him gentle reminders of how he fell in love with you in the first place," she advised, "and he'll be putty in your hands."

Elizabeth nodded.

In the distance, a man stood watching them as another one joined him.

* * *

"Are you ready to go," Matt said, poking his head in C.J.'s office.

She looked up from her computer.

"Is it time already," she said, stretching her arms.

"We'll run by the museum and meet them."

She pushed the files aside.

"I'm game," she said, "I want to take a look at the pre-Columbian art exhibit."

Matt looked at her.

"The one that Connie Ling acquired for them," he said, softly.

She nodded.

"She spent a year on the phone trying to get it," she said, "It's too bad she didn't live long enough to enjoy it."

She walked towards him and he put his arm around her shoulder as they left the office.

* * *

Ginger looked at the corridor and saw the two men standing next to each other. Elizabeth followed her line of vision.

"What are you looking at?"

"The two men standing near the hallway," Ginger said, "The tall one's quite an impressive physical specimen."

Elizabeth sighed and looked at her watch. She didn't think he was anything special although there was no accounting for Ginger's taste in men.

"Matt's supposed to be here pretty soon," she said.

"You know C.J.'s coming too."

"I know that and I don't have any problem," Elizabeth said, "I don't want Matt to think I'm insecure about his relationships with other women."

Ginger kept her eye on the two men while listening to her friend.

"Gotcha," she said, "I wish I had my binoculars."

"Why?"

That guy is positively magnetic," Ginger said, "He must not be from around here."

"Why don't you go and ask where he is from?"

"Maybe I will," Ginger said, sashaying away from her friend towards the men.

* * *

Matt wove his car through traffic to get to the art museum. But the evening commute was at its peak and the cars inched along down the street.

"At this rate, we'll make it just in time for happy hour," C.J. said, laughing.

He smiled.

"Feeling better?"

She looked at him.

"It was nothing Houston," she said, "I should be asking you that."

"C.J., I'm feeling much better," he said, "I just wish I had some lead on the shooter before he hurt someone else."

She sighed.

"Houston, I'm sure the police will find him," she said, "Jason and Hoyt are doing their best to find and bring him in."

He looked out the window not doubting that but feeling frustrated anyway.

"So your friend Gracie is coming down to check out our city," he said, changing the subject.

C.J. brightened.

"Yeah, she's flying in tomorrow," she said, "We were planning on having a girl's weekend. It's been a while since we've seen each other."

"That sounds…interesting," he said, "Don't you…girls usually talk about guys at these things?"

She chuckled.

"Sometimes…but we talk about other things."

He nodded.

"That sounds safe."

She ran her hand through her hair.

"Houston, I'm not going to kiss and tell…"

"Interesting choice of words," he said, "except it was more than that."

She threw him an irritated look.

"Did you happen to mention to Elizabeth about what happened in Tahiti?"

He didn't have to look at her to sense the anger as well as other emotions in her voice.

"No I didn't," he admitted, "but I've been thinking about it."

That shocked her.

"What…Why?"

He watched her carefully this time even though she tried to seem unfazed by his admission.

"I need to be honest with her," he said, "but I needed to be honest with myself first."

"Houston, she loves you," she said, "I think she wants to get your wedding back on track. Isn't that what you want?"

He sighed.

"When did I say that?"

"You don't have to," C.J. said, "She wouldn't be waiting for you at the museum if she didn't think she had another chance."

"She did ask me to think about getting back together," he admitted.

C.J. didn't look surprised, he noticed but he found it difficult to read her and wondered if that were deliberate on her part.

"I haven't given her an answer," he said, "in fact, we haven't really discussed it because we keep getting interrupted."

"You need to make time."

He raised his brows.

"Why is this matter so much to you?"

After looking at him, she shook her head.

"It's not my business Houston," C.J. said, "if you want to work it out with her, that's between the two of you."

"Then why are you pushing this," he said, as he turned down a tree-lined street.

"I'm not doing anything like that," she retorted, "You need to decide what you're going to do with your relationship or you're going to regret it. I know you. If you don't make your decision, you'll always wonder about what could have been."

He sighed, thinking, _I'm already doing that_.

* * *

Ginger sidled up to the taller of the two men and flickered her eyelids. He turned to look at her, puzzled.

"May I help you with something Madam," he asked.

She smiled.

"You have manners and great looks," she murmured approvingly.

"Excuse me," the man said.

"Hans, she's probably just lost and looking for the information desk," the second man said, "It's down the next hallway in front of the Pop Art room."

"I'm not lost," Ginger said, "I just was looking at this breathtaking art on display here and then I saw someone that was its equal."

Hans looked more confused

"Madam, I'm sorry we are busy," he said.

Her smile dimmed.

"Busy doing what," she asked, "Are you artists?"

Hans looked at his partner and they both nodded.

"Yes indeed," Hans said, "Franz here prefers tapestries but I like sculptures myself."

She furrowed her brow.

"You seem to be favorable to Michelangelo?"

Hans nodded.

"He's a very talented artist," he said, "A man of his era, who took blocks of marble and dared the life force underneath to come through just using his fingertips and some tools of course."

"That's one way of putting it," Ginger said, nodding, "I would say that he captures the human body…form very exquisitely."

"Yeah well, Franz and I have work to do here," Hans said, "Nice talking to you, Madame."

She started to leave then turned around.

"Would you like to have drinks some time…"

* * *

"It's almost closing time," Matt said, looking at his watch as they parked near the museum.

"We'd better hurry then," C.J. said, leaving the car.

"C.J, you and I need to have a talk," he said.

She started walking faster.

"No we don't," she said.

He pulled her arm so she would turn around and face him.

"Yes we do."

"You decide how your relationship with Elizabeth is going to go and then we'll see what happens next," she said, as he opened the museum door for her.

She looked around, impressed.

"I haven't been in here since Connie died," she said, "They've really did a lot of renovation. A shame she couldn't see it."

"At least her killer was brought to justice," he said, "because you wouldn't stop until he was caught."

"Houston, I got shot by the Triad members," she said, "You did most of the work."

"You made it easier when you told me you were okay," he said, "I was really scared there for a while in that waiting room."

"I know the feeling," she said, "I feel that way when it happens to you like last night."

He didn't miss the sadness that flickered across her face. As they passed the Ming vase collection, he turned to look at her.

"C.J. I was fine last night," he said, "but I don't think you believe that and I don't know why."

She hesitated for a moment.

"I can't explain it," she said, "I don't know where to start and I don't think I should."

"Why not," he said, "What was so different about last night?"

She just looked at him, emotions mixed on her face and then they headed towards the sculpture room.

"C.J…"

Ginger and Elizabeth saw them and walked right on over. C.J. just sighed when she saw them, frustrated at the questions Matt had asked her. She welcomed the diversion.

"You finally got here," Ginger said, "We've walked past every exhibit in the entire museum."

Elizabeth smiled.

"We worked up quite an appetite," she said, "I'm ready to go."

"C.J. wanted to check out the pre-Columbian exhibit," Matt said, "then we'll head out to this barbecue place that just opened."

They began heading towards the hallway when Matt saw something suspicious about of the corner of his eye.

"C.J…look over there," he said.

She automatically looked over to where two gentlemen were fiddling with a glass case.

"Do they work here?"

"I don't think so."

Ginger checked them out.

"Oh they're just local artists," she said, "I spoke with then not too long ago."

"Then why are they fiddling with the security casing for that feline statue," Matt asked.

Elizabeth looked at him, seeing the glimmer in his eyes.

"Oh please Matt, don't tell me you're going to confront them."

C.J. scratched her head.

"Houston, be careful."

"I'm just going to ask them a few questions," he said, walking over to where they stood.

Ginger threw up her hands.

"Why doesn't he just call security?"

Elizabeth sighed.

"I don't know, Ginger," she said, "I hope he doesn't hurt himself again."

"He won't," C.J. said, and walked over to join him.

The two men looked up at them and stepped away from the case.

"Excuse me gentlemen," Matt said, "Do you need help with anything?"

"You don't work there," Hans said, "We're just checking out this statue a bit closer. It's no concern of yours."

"Is there any reason why it should be?"

The two men looked at each other.

"No…we're just curious about the inscription on the base," Hans said, "We want to get a closer look."

"I don't believe them Houston," C.J. said to Matt quietly.

He didn't either.

"Look, if you don't step away from the case right now, I'm going to call security," Matt said.

"You can't tell us what to do," Franz said.

Hans smiled at his partner.

"This gentleman is just overly concerned about this relic," he said, "but there's no reason to be."

Suddenly C.J. saw a flash of movement.

"Houston…"

* * *

Ginger and Elizabeth watched the proceedings from a distance.

"I guess Matt's putting some fear in the both of them," Ginger said.

"I don't even want to watch," Elizabeth said, turning away, "I just know something bad is going to happen."

"I think one of them's going to make a move on him," Ginger said, "but I'm still putting my money on Matt to stop them in their tracks."

"Your money," Elizabeth said, incredulously, "Just a while ago, you were flirting with them."

Ginger waved her hand.

"Oh that," she said, "Harmless fun."

Elizabeth rolled her eyes.

"Well this isn't harmless," she said, "These men could be armed just like the guy in the restaurant and Matt could wind up getting shot again or worse."

Matt saw it too and knocked the silver handgun out of Hans' hand before he could aim it at them. Hans reacted by knocking both C.J. and Matt to the ground and then running off with Franz just behind him.

* * *

"Omigod," Elizabeth cried, "They assaulted them."

"We'd better go help them," Ginger said, as they ran over to assist Matt and C.J.

C.J. felt like she had the wind knocked out of her but seemed all right otherwise. She felt a hand on her shoulder.

"Are you okay,"

She looked over to see Matt eying her anxiously. She nodded and he helped her to his feet.

"You'd better get after them," C.J. said and Matt took off in pursuit.

Ginger walked up to C.J. clucking her tongue.

"Why the hell did you tell him that," she said, "He just got stitched up last night after someone shot him."

* * *

C.J. sighed, wrapping her arms around herself, rubbing her arms with her hands. She had said a silent prayer for him like she always did but didn't feel like sharing that with a woman who was driving her crazy. So she kept her response simple.

"Ever try stopping him?"

Elizabeth just stood there, trying to hold onto her composure.

"If he gets hurt again, I don't know what I'm going to do."

"He won't," C.J. said, "He can handle these guys but I'm going to call security to pick them up."

* * *

Matt ran after Hans and Franz through the museum. When a security guard saw the pursuit, he yelled in surprise at them but when Matt yelled out what happened, he called for backup on his radio and joined in the chase. After a few seconds, Matt's side began to throb and he hoped his stitches would hold. Two more security guards joined them when they passed the basket weaving section.

At some point, Hans and Franz decided to split up and so several guards went after Franz who headed towards a staircase and Matt and the original guard focused their efforts on running down Hans who stayed several strides ahead of them and after they pursued him up a crowded escalator, he pulled ahead even further. Matt dug in deeper to make up the lost ground. Hans reached the outer doors and pushed them open.

The sunlight hit Matt in the face as he followed Hans out into the manicured gardens surrounding a collection of Rodin statues. Hans disappeared behind a row of hedges and Matt plowed through the rose garden to try to cut him off. He saw Hans sprint towards a high wall and ran faster until he reached him and grabbing him, tried to pull him down. Hans struggled and turning around, started throwing punches that Matt dodged.

Hans fell on the ground on top of Matt who along with the security guard tried to pin Hans down on the ground.

Several other security guards and C.J. came running out into the gardens.

"What about the other guy," Matt asked as he stood up and rubbed his jaw.

One of the guards shrugged.

"He might have gotten away."

C.J. rushed up to Matt.

"Are you okay," she said.

He nodded. She looked at him, almost afraid to ask.

"Your stitches?"

He checked his side.

"Still there."

Ginger and Elizabeth approached them and saw some security guards drag Hans away. Ginger shook her head.

"Who would have thought?"

C.J. rolled her eyes.

"Looks can be deceiving," she said, "I bet when they check out old Hans through Interpol, they'll find a record of unlawful art acquisitions a mile long."

"Meaning he stole them," Elizabeth said.

C.J. nodded.

"Houston and I did a couple cases involving stolen art," she said, "Most of the time it was a front for some other crime like smuggling."

"So Matt caught a bad guy then," Ginger said, "Good for him."

Elizabeth shook her head.

"They could have been very dangerous," she said, "What if he'd been hurt? He should have let the police handle it."

"He's just fine," C.J. said, "and the police will handle Hans and his partner if they find him."

She walked over to Matt when she saw their friend Lt. Hoyt enter the garden. Hoyt threw them a weary look.

"You again," he muttered, "Houston, when are you going to let us handle these crimes in progress?"

Matt looked over at Hans who stood between two LAPD officers handcuffed and not looking too happy.

"Hoyt, it happened right in front of me," he said, gesturing with his arms, "Did you expect me to ignore it?"

"Jason told me about what happened the other night and how you got shot up by a guy when you placed yourself in a dangerous situation where you didn't belong."

Matt narrowed his eyes.

"What, you expected me to just let a thug pull a gun on C.J. and get away with it?"

"You got shot for your efforts," Hoyt said, patiently, "and the perp did get away with it."

"So there's no word yet on who that person is or why he's brandishing guns at people in public place,," Matt said.

Hoyt frowned at him.

"No, not as of yet," he said, "and we tried every database there is out there."

"I know," Matt said, "C.J. and I tried Baby and came up with nothing."

"We'll find him Houston," Hoyt said, "We usually do. It just takes time and patience. You've got to let us do our job."

"Hoyt, we know that you're doing your best," C.J. said.

Hoyt looked at the both of them, totally nonplussed.

"Well thank you for the vote of confidence," he said, before walking away.

"Houston, why are you giving him such a hard time?"

Matt looked at an irritated C.J.

"Why do you say that," he asked, "I've just got a lot of questions and very few answers here."

She just shook her head at him.

"Come on," she said, "We'd better head out and get some dinner."

* * *

The barbecue restaurant which had just opened was as impressive as the reviews promised. The four of them picked out a booth in the corner near the bar and ordered their food.

Elizabeth looked around carefully before she had even taken a seat. Ginger saw her do it and patted her shoulder.

"Don't worry," she said, "It looks like we might be able to eat uninterrupted unless there's a bar fight that Matt has to break up."

"Relax ladies," Matt said, "I think we'll have a nice quiet dinner tonight."

C.J. listened to him but wasn't sure. After all, she had thought the Karmic Garden had seemed like a nice, up-scale establishment and Matt had wound up bleeding on its floor. She sipped her iced sweet tea slowly.

"Matt, that was some great work you did," Ginger said, "dashing to the museum's rescue and you looked so sexy doing it."

C.J. looked up, wondering if she heard Ginger right while Elizabeth's face grew paler.

"Thank you…Ginger," Matt said, as their food arrived.

"Don't you agree, Elizabeth?"

Elizabeth looked up from her plate.

"What," she said, "Oh I think Matt was very brave but my heart was in my throat the entire time."

Matt looked at C.J. who had started eating as if she weren't paying attention.

"Do you have anything to say?"

"I'm glad you caught the guy," she said, "and I'm glad that you're okay."

Ginger snorted.

"I think this calls for a toast," she said, "to our great and very sexy hero in the flesh."

She raised her glass. The others just looked at her.

"Ginger," Matt said, "I just did what any other person would do in that situation."

"Don't be modest Matt," Ginger chastised, "You went above and beyond what most men would do, and not many fill out a pair of jeans like you do."

Elizabeth flashed a look of annoyance at her friend.

"Come on Elizabeth, you know I'm right better than anyone here," Ginger said, and then flashed a look at C.J., "well almost anyone."

Elizabeth raised her hand.

"Ginger…"

The other woman spun her head around indignantly.

"What's your problem," she said, "I'm just complimenting your ex-fiancée, not making the moves on him. I would never do that."

Elizabeth sighed.

"I never said you would," she said giving Ginger a funny look, "but you're making him uncomfortable."

Ginger studied Matt and _that_ made him uncomfortable.

"I'm just fine," he said, "It's all in a day's work."

"A very busy day," C.J. added.

He nodded.

"Most days are much slower paced. Spending hours in a cramped car doing stakeouts or spending a lot of time interviewing people for background checks."

Ginger chuckled.

"Oh Matt don't be so modest."

His brows rose.

"Really what I do isn't worth all that fuss," he said, "You should focus it on the real heroes out there."

"Oh I do," Ginger said, licking barbecue sauce off of her fingers, "but that doesn't mean I don't have anything left over for brave and modest men like you."

"Ginger, I think you've gotten your point across," Elizabeth said, "Can we just change subjects?"

"Okay, okay," she relented, "but that just leaves us with politics and religion."

* * *

C.J. found herself zoning out the conversation, feeling really tired. She leaned back in her chair and closed her eyes and suddenly found herself back there.

Matt held her close as they danced beneath the moonlight, just the two of them.

"You're a mighty fine dancer Ms Parsons," he said.

She smiled and looked up at him.

"I have a great partner," she said, "who knows all the right steps."

He kissed her forehead just below her hairline.

"How 'bout trying some new ones?"

She looked at him and he bent over to kiss her lips, pulling her even closer to him.

"How 'bout," she said, pulling even closer still while running her hands across his back.

C.J. blinked. She saw the other three looking at her. A wave of self-consciousness warmed her face.

"Did you fall asleep," Ginger said, folding her arms.

C.J. sat up suddenly.

"No…no," she said, "I just wanted to relax for a few moments."

Ginger looked skeptical.

"You definitely looked relaxed for sure."

C.J. flashed her a look.

"Well, I was relaxed," she said, "Past tense."

"C.J.," Matt said, "I really think you need to take a couple of days off."

She crossed her arms.

"I told you," she said, "I'm feeling perfectly fine. Just a little tired, that's all."

He looked doubtful.

"Are you sure?"

Her cheeks started to flush.

"I'm sure," she said, "Although Gracie's coming in tomorrow so maybe it's a good time to take a holiday."

"Who's Gracie," Ginger asked.

"A good friend from college," C.J. answered, "She's from the Bay Area and wants to see how the other half lives."

"I could show her how to paint the town red," Ginger offered.

"No thanks," C.J. said, "We're going to spend most of our time unwinding from our lives and catching up."

"That sounds pretty nice," Elizabeth said approvingly.

"Sounds boring," Ginger sniffed.

"Well take as much time off as you need C.J.," Matt said, "You've been working very hard."

"Yes I have," she said, "and a few days away from that rat race will be nice."

* * *

And it was indeed nice, C.J. thought as she lay on the beach near Malibu eating chips and drinking Iced tea, while Gracie told her about life in the Bay Area. Okay, it wasn't Tahiti but it was a lot less complicated, the afternoon was beautiful and her friend was great company.

"So I've talked enough about myself," Gracie said, "What about you?"

C.J. paused.

"There's not much to say," she said, "I've been working a lot since we got back from vacation. Traveling a lot."

"You look tired," Gracie noted.

C.J. nodded.

"It's this non-stop grind," she said, "Getting on and off air planes in different cities and rushing off to do depositions which sometimes are enough to put me to sleep."

Gracie lay back on her towel.

"So how was Tahiti?"

She thought about it, trying to figure out how to put it into words.

"That good," Gracie said, dryly.

C.J. shook her head.

"No, it was a lot of fun," she said, "It's one of my favorite vacation places. It's just that this trip was… different."

"How so?"

"You know Houston's my best friend, right?"

Gracie nodded.

"Yeah and he's been so for years," she said, "He invited you on this trip. It was supposed to be his honeymoon with his fiancée but they broke up."

"He invited me, I went and we had a great time," C.J. said, "A really great time."

Gracie looked at her carefully as C.J. picked up her tea and sipped it.

"Did you…you know…"

C.J. looked away for a moment.

"Not in the beginning, but on one of the last nights, we went out to dinner and dressed up to go to this really nice restaurant… We had a great time like we usually do and we went out dancing afterward and then after that, we did some dancing on the beach…Alone."

Gracie smiled.

"Which one of you made the first move?"

C.J. looked at her puzzled. Gracie snorted.

"You know what I'm talking about."

C.J. fidgeted with the strap on her swimsuit.

"He did when he kissed me," she said, "but I did later, when I took him to bed."

Gracie's eyes widened.

"Ohhhh…"

C.J. threw her a sharp look.

"He was perfectly willing," she said, "and we had a nice…couple of days…and nights."

Gracie chuckled.

"Time kind of stood still," she said, "Only two of you in the world…"

"Actually 'nice' might not be the right word for it," C.J. said, "It's hard to find the right word."

Gracie held her hand up.

"I get the picture," she said, "So you two get together at last…"

C.J. gave her another one of those looks. Gracie collapsed laughing.

"Come on, C.J., you knew this was going to happen someday, that you two were going to come to your senses and get it on."

"No I didn't…Well maybe," she said, sheepishly.

"So then what?"

C.J. furrowed her brow.

"I told him on the day we left to go home that I didn't want to ruin what we had together," she said, "Our friendship."

Gracie sat up suddenly.

"What?!"

The look on her friend's face made C.J. almost wish she hadn't told her.

"After all that, you let go of him," Gracie said, "I hope at least you let him down gently."

"Matt had just been jilted by his fiancée who he loved," C.J. said, "He still had to work through his feelings about that and…"

"You didn't want to be the woman that he worked through those feelings with," Gracie concluded, "before he moved on to someone else or back with her."

C.J. ran her hand through her hair.

"I might come out of it not just losing a lover but a friend," she said, "I didn't want to risk that."

"That's almost understandable," Gracie said, "except that you're not even sure he wants to move on to anyone else."

C.J. sighed.

"His former fiancée is back in town," she said, "and he told me she wants to get back together with him and get married as if nothing happened."

"And has he gotten back together with her and are they heading back towards the altar?"

C.J. shook her head.

"But he's reluctant to tell her that he's choosing to move on," C.J. said, "I think he's not clear on that part himself."

"Maybe he's just trying to find the right way to do it to spare her feelings."

"Maybe," C.J. said, "but even so, that doesn't mean there's a future for us."

"You won't know until you talk to him," Gracie said.

"I'm not even sure what I want," C.J. said, "It's all gotten so complicated."

Gracie chuckled.

"You do know that's how relationships often are," she said.

"Of course," C.J. said, "But this is different…"

"Because it's your best friend," Gracie said, nodding, "That might make things better. I mean, come on he's a great looking guy who obviously thinks the world about you and if he lights your fire..."

"But…"

"No C.J., it's time you got your act together and went after what you really want."

* * *

Matt walked into the penthouse from the elevator and saw Roy reading the newspaper on the sofa. His uncle looked up at him and put the paper down.

"Matlock, what happened to you?"

Matt looked down at his mud splattered clothing.

"I was on a stakeout and got out of the car to get some burgers and someone drove too close to me while I passed a mud puddle."

"Just another day at the office," Roy quipped.

"Funny, real funny," Matt said, "Say, have you heard from our new client who owns the exotic animal collection?"

"Oh he called Chris this morning," Roy said, "I was going to meet with him this afternoon unless you want to handle it."

"I was thinking of going home and taking some work with me," Matt said.

"It's not the same without C.J.," Roy said, "I hope she's having fun visiting with her friend."

"Why wouldn't she," Matt asked.

Roy shrugged, noting the tone in his nephew's voice.

"No particular reason."

"Gracie's the perfect antidote for making sure that C.J. has a good time," Matt said, "She was quite the party girl in college."

"She seemed nice," Roy said.

Matt went to pour himself some scotch.

"She and C.J. were sorority sisters," she said, "She was out of state when that Laurel and Hardy pair were trying to kill C.J. and some of its other members so it's been years since I've seen her."

"Hopefully, she'll be just what C.J. needs to feel more rested," Roy said.

Chris walked over to them.

"What is it," Matt asked.

"It's Jason on line 2," she said, "I think he's got some news for you."

Matt shot a look at his uncle and went to pick up the phone.

"Hello, this is Matt."

"Jason," he said, "I just thought I'd call and tell you that we're still looking for the perp who shot you."

"That's reassuring," Matt said, "Any leads yet?"

"Nothing," Jason said, his voice steeped with frustration, "We're working our databases really hard but no go."

"Well, tell me if you do find anything out," Matt said, "I've come up dry on this end too."

"The purse snatcher you apprehended made bail and disappeared," Jason said, "and those art thieves are keeping mum until their high-priced well-suited attorneys show up. I'm thinking syndicate action here."

"Wouldn't surprise me," Matt said, "Maybe they're dealing with the black market."

"That statue they were after was worth some pretty pennies," Jason said, "But the museum put up more security in case there's a repeat visit."

Matt nodded.

"Thanks for the followup," he said, "I really appreciate it. I'll pass it on to C.J."

"How's she doing," Jason said, "She looked beat at the restaurant."

"She's out having fun with an old college friend," Matt said, "I gave her strict orders to relax and not think about work for a few days."

"Good luck," Jason said, "She loves her career too much to take it easy."

"Don't I know that," Matt said, as he hung up.

Roy looked at him thoughtfully.

"Go home and do some relaxing yourself," he said, "Chris and I will handle things here."

* * *

Ginger and Elizabeth sat at an outdoor table at a local restaurant.

"So what's your plan," Ginger asked, stirring her drink.

Elizabeth sat still for a moment.

"I don't know," she said, "I think he's really considering whether or not he wants to get back together. I should give him a little space."

"Nonsense," Ginger said, "You should strike while the iron's hot. After all, there are many other women out there who would like to sink their claws into him."

_Including herself_, she didn't add.

"I don't want to force the issue with him," Elizabeth said, "I'm still working hard on trying not to get upset every time he runs off into a dangerous situation."

Ginger shrugged.

"I think you're doing better in that area…in the past day or so."

"I think so," Elizabeth agreed, "but I need to spend more time convincing him that I'm willing to accept everything in his life including the dangerous side."

"You better get on it then," Ginger said, "Before your window of opportunity closes."

"I can't rush things," Elizabeth said, "I want to do this right."

"Then you better have a plan," Ginger said, "because a man like him won't sit around for very long waiting for you to come to your senses."

* * *

Matt parked his car and then walked into his beach house. He got a beer out of the refrigerator and went to sit on his deck with a stack of papers. He didn't like the administrative part of his business but it went by faster if he left his office and surrounded himself with the right environment. The ocean breeze rustled through the azalea bushes and odors of nearby barbecues wafted, attracting flocks of seagulls and he leaned back in his chair and got down to work.

He found his mind wandering as he went through each file and pushing his mind back towards his work proved difficult. A lot had changed in the past day or so, what with Elizabeth reappearing in his life with her vivacious sidekick, Ginger. Elizabeth, the woman that he had almost married but who had walked away from him now wanted him back. But did he want that?

On his wedding day, he did. He had woken up that morning, sure that by day's end, he and Elizabeth would be heading off on their honeymoon to Tahiti as man and wife. Instead, he had invited C.J. to fly out to the tropical island on his Lear Jet for a week at one of the most romantic spots on earth. And by week's end…

He shook that thought away and picked up another folder.

The doorbell rang and he got out of his chair to go answer it. He saw Ginger holding a bottle of wine.

"I hoped I would catch you here," she said, "Your uncle told me you'd taken the rest of the day off."

"I just brought some work home," he said, as she waltzed right in, "I'm catching up."

She looked him over from top to bottom.

"You should be relaxing," she said, "You just got shot two days ago and you've done nothing but run after bad guys since."

"I feel much better now," he said, "It's all part of the job."

"Oh don't be so modest," Ginger said, "You've done society a great service in the last couple of days taking some sociopaths off the street."

Matt smiled, looking at his drink.

"Elizabeth told me that you took a shine to one of those 'artists'"

Ginger sighed, putting the bottle of wine down on a table.

"I had no idea he was actually a master criminal."

"Actually, if he had been one, he never would have been caught," he said.

She tilted her head.

"Why do you under play the important work that you do?"

He studied her, knowing that she was making another play for him again. Well, maybe he'd play along for a while.

"Why do you make me into some kind of superhero," he asked, "I mean it's flattering and all but there are a lot of much braver people out there…"

"All you need is a cape," Ginger said, "and you'd be ready to go."

"I like what I do Ginger," Matt said, "I get paid good money to go out and make the world a slightly better and safer place for my clients and then I come home and I sleep well."

"Alone?"

He sipped his drink.

"That's really none of your business."

"Elizabeth really has a thing for you," Ginger said.

He put his drink down.

"I thought that you did," he said, "I mean that you've been flirting with me since you first came into my office two days ago."

She chuckled.

"Oh that was harmless fun."

He raised a brow.

"It wouldn't have been for my desk."

She smiled widely.

"I would have bought you a new one."

He looked at her for a long moment and she grew hopeful.

"You are a handful for someone," Matt said, finally, "but not for me. I like my women low maintenance."

Her smile fell off of her face but she covered it well.

"Oh, I can do that," she said, "I mean it's not exactly me but I could try."

He folded his arms.

"If you're such a close friend of Elizabeth, why are you making passes at me in the first place?"

Ginger plopped herself on his sofa.

"Because you and Elizabeth broke up," she said, "and you're so damn sexy, I'd be betraying my own better instincts if I didn't."

"Look, you're very beautiful and maybe if you caught me a few years ago, I'd be up to maintaining a more active social calendar but that's not who I am."

She purred up at him.

"You're not in a relationship right now are you?"

He picked up his drink again.

"Well no," he said, "but I'm trying to be fair and honest with Elizabeth about whether or not we have a future together and…"

Ginger sighed.

"I think we both know you don't," she said, "The only one who doesn't know it yet is her."

He narrowed his eyes.

"Why do you say that?"

She studied him more carefully than she chose her words.

"You've got your eyes on someone else."

That floored him.

"I don't think…"

Ginger got up again and started pacing.

"What I don't understand is why you're not together with her."

Now Matt was confused.

"Who are you talking about?"

She rolled her eyes at him.

"Your so-called business partner."

Her words stunned him and when she read his eyes, she had her answer.

"You and her got together in Tahiti, didn't you?"

He just stared at her.

"Now I know that you won't kiss and tell because you're a gentleman and all that," she continued.

"I try to be," he said, "and my private affairs are none of your business."

She nodded.

"I see, you've just answered my next question."

"Which is…"

She waved her hand at him.

"Never mind that," she said, "It doesn't matter because you're clearly not together now."

"No we're not," he said, finally, "So don't go running off to share your theories with her."

She went to the wet bar and poured herself a drink.

"Matt, I might be attracted to you," she said, "but I really do care about Elizabeth and I don't like you playing with her feelings."

He looked at his drink.

"I haven't been," he said, "I just don't want her to think that it's some shortcoming on her part that caused us to break up."

"That's sporting of you," she said, "She's built up her feelings to think that you're going to marry her and you'll both live happily ever after."

He looked at her pointedly.

"Without any help from you, of course."

"Matt, if I gave her any hope, it was because of the signals you were sending," she said, "You're the one who's going to have to decide what you really want and what you're going to do about it."

* * *

C.J. and Gracie walked away from the food stand with some fried fish and fries.

"This should hit the spot," C.J. said, "You can't live on salads all the time."

Gracie eyed the delicious food.

"I'll break my diet for once," she said, "Live a little."

"I can't believe I'm actually starving," C.J. said, "My appetite's been up and down the past couple of days."

Gracie took a careful look at her, as they sat down underneath their umbrellas.

"C.J…"

Her friend turned to look at her, mid-bite.

"What," she asked.

Gracie tried to find a way to broach a difficult subject.

"When you and Matt…you were using protection weren't you?"

C.J. looked at her surprised. Gracie never did beat around the bush.

"Well…of course," she said, "It might have been spontaneous but I would never go to bed with a man without making sure I was protected."

Gracie shrugged.

"Then it's probably nothing."

C.J. looked at her, sharply.

"Gracie…I'm not pregnant."

"I'm sure you're not C.J. but you've been tired and not eating well from what you've said."

"I'm just travel weary," C.J. said, "That doesn't make me pregnant."

"No, only a man can do that and you've been with one in the past two months."

C.J.'s face flushed. That was indeed true and it had been more than once but she had been very careful. No, she couldn't be pregnant. It just wasn't possible. After all, if she was, she'd just know, right?

"I can't be," she said, more softly.

Gracie rubbed her shoulder.

"You should take a test and find out," she said, "if only for your piece of mind."

C.J. nodded, still thinking it was impossible.

"I'll think about it."

Gracie furrowed her brow.

"Do you worry what his reaction would be if you were…"

"Pregnant," C.J. finished.

"Will do you?"

C.J. thought about it for quite a while and Gracie waited patiently.

"I don't know how he'd react. He'd be shocked," she said, "He's getting back together with his ex-fiancée. If I were…pregnant, that wouldn't fit in his life very well."

"You'd work it out I'm sure," Gracie said, "You're not the first couple to be in that situation."

"We're not even a couple," C.J. reminded her, "I'm not sure what we are now."

"You're best friends," Gracie said, "I know that. He would never let go of that easily. I remember what he used to be like in college."

"It would be a big upheaval to his life," C.J. said.

"He'd get over that fairly quickly," Gracie reasoned, "I think this is what he's always wanted."

C.J. nodded, slowly.

"He always did want a family being an only child," she said, "but not right now and he's planning his life with someone else."

"Maybe," Gracie said, "Maybe not."

C.J. shook her head.

"I don't know if I'm ready for this," she said, "It's such a responsibility."

"Don't put yourself in that situation until you've taken the test," Gracie said. "When you have the results, then you'll think about what to do."

* * *

Matt sat back on his deck, trying to get Ginger's visit out of his mind and back to his work. He listened to the surf moving up on the beach as the tides began to rise. The breeze had picked up a bit and Matt spent most of his time watching the sail boats glide across the water on their way to the horizon. He loved sailing but he knew he was benched until he got his stitches out.

Ginger's words had struck a nerve. He knew she had him pegged when it came to his feelings about her friend but what had really unnerved him was her comments about his relationship with C.J. He thought back to the conversation that they had before getting on the Lear Jet to go back to L.A. after their week spent on his honeymoon. He knew the moment she had gotten out of bed, the bed she had shared with him that she had begun to create some distance between them. He knew why she did it; he just didn't agree with their contention that what had happened between them jeopardized their long-standing friendship.

He had tried to convince her otherwise but the more he tried, the more steadfast she was in putting that wall between them. Everything still appeared to be the same between them but was it?

He sipped from his drink as he looked back at the beach, where people played volleyball on the sand and children ran around building sand castles and looking for shells.

His phone rang, interrupting his thoughts. He picked it up.

"Hello," he said.

"It's Elizabeth," the voice said.

"Well hi there," he said, "What can I do for you?"

She hesitated.

"Matt," she said, "I want to talk to you. Can we meet?"

He needed to talk to her too.

"Sure thing," he said, "Why don't you come out to Malibu? We can go for a walk on the beach and then head off to this great restaurant right on the edge of the sand. Great view of the ocean."

"I know the sunsets are beautiful Matt," she said, "Okay, I'll head right on over."

"I'll be waiting," Matt said, "I'm almost finished up here."

The truth was, he had never really gotten started with his workload but knew on a day like this, it would have to wait until his life settled down.

"See you later," she said, before hanging up.

Matt hung up too and looked thoughtfully at the phone. He knew he had to be honest with her but realized that would be impossible without hurting her. Still, her pain would only grow, the longer he waited to tell her it was time for both of them to move on.

* * *

Elizabeth got off the phone just as Ginger entered the hotel room.

"I'm going out on a nice walk on the beach with Matt and then we're going to dinner," she said, "You'll have to entertain yourself tonight."

"I think I'll manage," Ginger said, smiling.

"I think this might be it," Elizabeth said, "I think tonight we'll make some progress in getting back on track with our relationship and our wedding."

Ginger didn't feel too sure about that.

"What makes you think that," she proceeded cautiously,.

Elizabeth was too busy looking through her closet to notice her friend's tone.

"Well, there's nothing more romantic than a walk on the beach with the man I love," she said, "and that's kind of a sign don't you think?"

Ginger waffled.

"Maybe…but I'm not so sure about this."

Elizabeth frowned as she turned to look at her.

"What do you mean?"

Ginger took a deep breath.

"He had an affair with her," she said, slowly.

Elizabeth stopped mid-track.

"You mean, C.J.?"

Ginger looked away, nodding.

"It happened while they went off on what was supposed to be your honeymoon."

"Are you sure?"

"I asked him about it and he got really evasive," Ginger said, "told me it was none of my business."

Elizabeth harrumphed in relief.

"Oh that doesn't mean anything," she said, "Matt just doesn't like to talk much about his relationships with women, especially her."

Ginger sat on the bed.

"Well whatever they had changed," she said, "I know that they crossed that line past friendship."

Elizabeth shrugged.

"But you pointed out, they're not together right now," she said, "so I can forgive him for sleeping with her in Tahiti."

"I think she's the one who curtailed it," Ginger said, "not him."

Elizabeth waved her hand.

"He's said nothing about having a relationship with her now or then," she said, "so I think you're jumping to conclusions."

"I'm not," Ginger retorted, "Call it a gut feeling."

Elizabeth frowned.

"You don't have gut feelings."

"There's always a first time for everything."

Elizabeth smiled.

"I really believe it's me he wants," she said, "and tonight we'll be closer to getting back together. I just know it."

Ginger looked at her doubtfully but didn't say anything having run out of words.

* * *

C.J. just sat there soaking up what Gracie had said to her. She knew her friend had to be wrong about what might be causing her symptoms. She couldn't be…in fact, she couldn't even say it or think it. And she knew that Matt would have the same difficulty wrapping his head around it as well. One little test would clear all of this confusion up soon enough.

"You still can't grasp it," Gracie guessed.

C.J. looked at her.

"I'm on the Pill," she protested, "I can't get pregnant."

"No form of birth control is entirely fool-proof."

C.J. rolled her eyes.

"I know that," she said, and then her eyes grew serious, "I had a close call last year."

Gracie leaned up on her elbows, shielding her face from the setting sun.

"What do you mean," she said, "Don't tell me you were…"

C.J. shook her head.

"I thought I might be, right after I broke it off with Robert," she said.

"Loser boyfriend who turned out to be a murderer for ratings kind of guy," Gracie said.

That was one way of putting it, C.J. thought.

"I was…late and not feeling well and I thought I was pregnant," she said, "I never felt so alone in my life. I mean, they had just hauled him off to prison. Until Houston found out and helped me through it. Even took me to the doctor for a test."

"And it was negative," Gracie said, "what a relief that must have been."

"Of course it was," C.J. said, "but Houston offered to support whatever decision I made and help me in any way he could."

"He's a nice guy who cares about you," Gracie said, "Are you surprised?"

"I know he meant it," C.J. said, "And I know if the test is positive this time, he'll be there with me, but I don't want him to mess up his chance to be happy."

Gracie snorted, impatiently.

"Why do you assume that he would be unhappy?"

"I didn't say that," C.J. said.

"You won't know until you talk to him about it."

"There's nothing to talk about," C.J. said, "at least not yet."

* * *

Matt and Elizabeth walked on the beach, watching the people splashing in the waves and the surfers seeking out the perfect waves. The sun sat on the horizon, turning the sky a shade of different colors.

"It's beautiful Matt," Elizabeth said,

"That's why I moved out here," Matt said, "To be near the ocean."

"I can see why," she said, "It must be very soothing to hear the waves crash on shore at night and wake up to them in the morning."

"It can be," he said, watching her.

"I'm glad that we're spending time together," she said.

"You wanted to talk to me about something."

She smiled at him.

"I just wanted to tell you how much I appreciate you giving me a chance to spend some time with you," she said, "We've never really had a chance to talk after canceling the wedding."

He looked back out at the ocean.

"I thought we said everything we needed to say."

She stopped and looked at him.

"Not everything."

"Elizabeth…"

She put up her hand.

"I know this isn't what you expected," she said, "but I still love you and I want to marry you."

He ran his hand through his hair.

"What made you change your mind?"

Her face softened.

"When I was in Mexico, I did a lot of thinking while Ginger was out having fun," she said, "I couldn't enjoy myself after what I just done to you, to us."

He kept listening. He just couldn't believe what he was hearing.

"Elizabeth…"

She held up her hand.

"Just let me finish," she said, "I've wanted to come and tell you this for so long."

"Okay, I'm listening."

She took a deep breath before continuing.

"I sat on the balcony looking out into the ocean for hours, just thinking what I could have done differently. How I could have been different. The whole thing's my fault."

Matt sighed.

"Elizabeth, it's no one's fault," he said, "We're just two different people who are trying to hold onto who we are."

"We're not all that different Matt," she protested.

"Maybe," he conceded, "but you were right in that if we did get married, we might end up resenting each other."

She looked taken aback.

"Matt, I never meant it that way," she said, "I was feeling hurt and I was scared when that deranged man crashed our wedding."

"I know and I'm really sorry that happened," Matt said, "I had no idea Robert Tyler had plotted revenge from his prison cell."

She nodded.

"I know that," she said, "and I was way too harsh on you about circumstances of fate that you couldn't control and I'm sorry about that too."

"There's no need for that," he said, "If it hadn't happened that way, it would have been over something else and it probably would have hurt us much more down the road."

She waved her arms.

"Matt, you don't know that," she said, "We might have made it work."

He looked at her confused expression and a wave of sadness moved through him.

"I know we could have made it work," she continued, "We…I just didn't try hard enough."

He stepped closer to her.

"You can't blame yourself," he said, "We're not the same people."

"Oh Matt…"

"A lot's changed in the past two months," he said.

"My feelings haven't, Matt," she said, "I still love you."

* * *

Gracie got up and shook her beach towel.

"So why don't we head over to our old haunt?"

C.J. looked up at her.

"You mean that place on the beach," she said, "Their crab cakes aren't as good as those at the Cod but the salmon is great."

"You're so lucky to live where there's so much sun," Gracie said, with a sigh, "I left a fog bank up north."

"But San Francisco is so gorgeous," C.J. said, "It must be a great place to live."

Gracie studied her.

"You're not thinking about moving are you?"

C.J. looked surprised.

"No, not that my life hasn't gotten confusing enough but I think I'll stick it out down here."

Gracie chuckled.

"You'd never be able to leave Matt behind," she said, "You're too much of a team."

C.J. shook her head.

"He might be working out things with Elizabeth," she said, "and if that's true, then their wedding will be on track soon enough."

"You'll still work together."

"Maybe not through the agency," C.J. said, "He was willing to give up his career for her before their wedding. Maybe he's going to promise her he'll do that again."

Gracie shook her head.

"I can't see Matt doing that," she said, "It's too much of who he is. You and he built that agency from the ground up."

"I know," C.J. said, "but she's never going to accept the dangerous part of his life no matter what she says."

"And he can't shield her from them if he continues working as an investigator," Gracie finished.

C.J. nodded.

"She was very upset when Houston got shot the other night."

"You can't blame her," Gracie reasoned, "It must be pretty scary to have the man you love get shot."

C.J. ran her hand through her hair.

"Yeah…"

Gracie looked at her.

"C.J. what do you want?"

C.J. rubbed the bridge of her nose, thoughtfully while Gracie waited patiently. Finally, she looked up at her friend and smiled.

"I want to get my hands on some of that salmon."

* * *

Matt and Elizabeth sat in a corner booth and ordered from the menu.

"I heard the yellow tip is just marvelous," Elizabeth said, handing the waiter the menu.

"I'll take the swordfish," Matt said.

Elizabeth looked around the decorative setting.

"This place is so nice," she said, "It's got such atmosphere."

"We've been coming here since we moved out here," Matt said, sipping some beer.

Elizabeth's smile froze on her face as she reached for her wine glass.

"You mean you and C.J."

He looked up and nodded.

"We work together Elizabeth," he said, "and sometimes we play together."

"Meaning…"

"We share some of the same interests," Matt said, "We both like to fish."

Elizabeth stretched her arms out.

"Oh, that," she said, "That sounds harmless enough."

Matt narrowed his eyes a bit.

"Meaning…"

Elizabeth fiddled with her napkin.

"Matt…I know you and her are very close."

"We've always been close since we've known each other," Matt said, "She's my best friend, you know that."

Elizabeth nodded.

"Of course I do," she said, "It's just that Ginger said…"

His brows lifted at the memory.

"Ginger said what?"

Elizabeth looked at him uneasily.

"That you…she got together when you were on our honeymoon trip."

Matt's eyes widened a bit.

"Where did she get that idea," he asked.

Elizabeth shrugged.

"She just told me that you kind of implied that something had happened between the two of you."

Matt sipped his beer.

"Ginger did come to my place and try to grill me on my personal history."

The waiter brought some a wine bottle to the table and refilled Elizabeth's glass.

"Ginger's kind of inquisitive about the people she meets," Elizabeth said, "I'm sorry about that. I hope you told her it's none of her business."

Matt looked at his glass.

"I did," he said, "Not that that discouraged her."

"She did say that she didn't think you and C.J. were still together," Elizabeth said, "so it didn't work out then."

Matt just stared at her.

"Not that I'm interested in hearing all the details," Elizabeth said, "I don't really want to know."

"Elizabeth…"

She smiled.

"Let's talk about something else."

* * *

C.J. and Gracie had sat in their booth by a window which gave them a view of the tree-lined street filled with boutiques and ordered their meals.

"You sure you don't want a margarita," Gracie asked, "They come in six flavors."

C.J. laughed.

"I think I'll stick to club soda and lime," she said.

Gracie frowned.

"Are you worried that…."

C.J.'s face flushed.

"No, I told you there's nothing to worry about," she said, "I still feel a little jetlagged."

"We got to stop by the drug store and get you one of those tests on the way home," Gracie said, "just to be sure you're not pregnant."

C.J. rolled her eyes as the waiter brought them their food.

"Looks delicious," Gracie said, "You come here often?"

"Houston and I come here at least twice a month," she said, "usually after we go sailing."

"You spend a lot of time together?"

C.J. furrowed her brow as she took a bite of her salmon.

"Not much lately."

"You sound like you miss that," Gracie said.

C.J. thought about it.

"I do," she said, "For being so close to each other like we were in Tahiti, we're farther apart now."

Gracie leaned forward.

"Why don't you get together and talk with him?"

C.J. looked at her hands.

"He's busy trying to get back together with his fiancée."

* * *

"Matt, I can prove it to you," Elizabeth said, "if you'll just give me a chance."

"Elizabeth…"

He ran his hand through his hair.

"No Matt, I know that we can work out the problems in our relationship," she said, "If you just give us a chance."

"We can't relive the past," Matt said, "I think we both need to move forward."

She smiled broadly.

"Exactly," she said, "We need to start over."

He hesitated, looking into his beer glass.

"I don't know if we can."

The smile dropped off of her face.

"What do you mean we can't?"

"My life is always going to be filled with danger and unpredictability," he said, "I can't change that and I don't really want to."

She looked surprised.

"We've been through that already," she said, "I'm prepared to accept that part of your life."

He sighed.

"Just give me a chance," she said, moving closer to him.

Before he realized it, she'd reached over to kiss him on the lips.

* * *

Gracie had been returning from the bathroom when she saw them in an embrace.

"Small world," she mused, going back to her table.

C.J. smiled at her friend as she sat back down.

"You'll never guess who I just ran into," Gracie said, taking a sip of her margarita.

"Who?"

"Matt and Elizabeth," Gracie said, "They are sitting in another booth."

C.J. shrugged.

"This is one of his favorite restaurants," she said.

"They looked like they were having a serious discussion," Gracie said.

"I'm sure they were," C.J. said, "I think I'm going to try some dessert."

Gracie's eyes widened.

"For someone who's said she's had a poor appetite, you're certainly making up for lost time."

"The cakes are pretty delicious here," C.J. insisted, "especially the pineapple."

"I'm game," Gracie said, "Like I said, I don't diet on holidays."

C.J. sipped her club soda.

"You look fabulous," she said, "but then you always have."

"Why thank you," Gracie said, with a smile, "but I think it's the scenery that's so beautiful around here. I always wanted to live near a beach."

"Houston always wanted to, which is why he bought a house on the Malibu coast," C.J. said.

"Maybe when I get old enough to retire…"

Suddenly, they both heard a crash and the window next to them shatter raining down shards of glass on their table. They instinctively ducked and covered their heads as something landed on the floor next to them. Smoke wafted up towards them and C.J. turned towards the window where she saw a tall thin man gaze at her for a moment before taking off on foot. She then turned to see flames licking the remains of a bottle.

Gracie's eyes widened.

"Is that what I…"

C.J. nodded.

"A Molotov cocktail."

Gracie swung her head around.

"What the hell?"

C.J. got up and ran to get a fire extinguisher from a nearby wall and then deftly sprayed it at the fire that started to move towards the base of the table. She doused the fire and a waiter came running into the room.

"What happened?"

She pointed at the floor.

"Someone clearly doesn't like this restaurant," she said, "Have you received any threats lately? Any customers complaining or did you fire anyone?"

The waiter shrugged.

"You'll have to ask the manager," he said, "I got to get him."


	4. Chapter 4

Part Four--the latest part of this fanfiction is up. I hope you like it. Thanks for the comments and for reading!

* * *

After Elizabeth released him from their kiss, Matt looked at her confused.

"Elizabeth…"

She shook her head with a smile.

"Just think about it Matt," she said, "Please, that's all I ask. Give yourself a little bit of time."

He sighed, watching her watching him for an answer. He had none to give her that would make her happy.

"I don't know if it's going to make any difference," he said, "We can't recapture what we've lost."

She ran her hand through her hair.

"Oh Matt, just give yourself a chance to think about it apart from all the chaos in your life."

Suddenly, the odor of smoke hit him and he looked around. He saw the manager walk quickly by towards the front of the restaurant.

"Excuse me Elizabeth," he said, getting up.

She just sat there shaking her head as he ran off again.

Matt reached the front of the restaurant and his eyes widened.

"C.J., what are you doing here?"

She folded her arms looking at him.

"Probably the same thing you're doing," she said.

He thought back to Elizabeth kissing him and doubted that.

"What happened?"

She shook her head.

"A guy threw in a Molotov cocktail right through this window," she said, "It just missed us."

"Not quite," he said, gesturing to her arm.

She looked at it and noticed a stream of blood running down from just above her elbow.

"I didn't notice that," she said, "It doesn't hurt."

He grabbed some napkins off of the table.

"Here, press these against your elbow," he said, handing them to her, "To stop the bleeding."

She nodded holding them on her injury.

"Thanks," she said, "but really, I'm okay."

"You might need stitches," he said, "so maybe we should call for help."

"Houston," she said, "I don't need an ambulance for a little cut."

"I didn't need one for a little bullet wound," he countered, "but someone who was worried called one and I'm going to return the favor."

She sighed and sat down in her chair just as the waiter brought over a man who looked like the manager of the restaurant. He asked her what happened and she told him. Matt looked at him pointedly.

"Do you have anyone who might want to harm you or your business," he asked.

Mixed emotions crossed the man's face and finally he nodded.

"We fired a waiter who stole money from the till last week," he said, "From your friend's description, it sounds like him."

"I called the police and they're going to be coming to take a report," Matt said, "You'll have to tell them everything you know about this ex-employee."

The manager looked at C.J.

"If she needs stitches, there's an urgent care clinic just down the street," he said, "They've sewn and patched up quite a few of my workers."

Gracie nodded.

"I'll take her there," she offered.

"I'll meet you," Matt said.

C.J. protested.

"We have to stay long enough to talk to the police," she said, "I'll be fine until then."

He looked at her arm where the blood seeped through the napkins.

"We need a towel," he said.

The waiter went to find one. Sirens echoed in the distance and then became louder. Matt saw several police cars turn into the parking lot and officers getting out of the vehicles. A waiter handed him a towel and he gently wrapped it around C.J.'s arm.

"You feeling okay," he asked.

She nodded.

"It's not like I got shot or anything."

"Matt, what's going on," a familiar voice said.

He looked up and saw Elizabeth standing just behind in the growing crowd around them.

"It's okay," he said, "but C.J.'s hurt her arm and we're going to take her to a clinic nearby."

She nodded blankly.

"Do what you have to do."

* * *

They all wound up at the clinic, which fortunately had few patients waiting for services and so C.J. saw a doctor when she arrived there. The woman looked at her arm carefully then shook her head.

"Crazy person must have done that," he said, "but it's not too bad. Clean it out and threw a couple stitches maybe."

"It's not bleeding as much," she protested, "I don't think…"

The doctor sighed.

"I'm a good seamstress," she said, "If you sit still the whole time, I won't leave a scar."

C.J. shrugged, holding her arm.

"I don't care about that," she said, "I have plenty of them already."

The doctor nodded.

"I'm going to give you some antibiotics and painkillers," she said, "No allergies to anything?"

"None," C.J. said.

"And is there any possibility you could be pregnant?"

C.J.'s expression froze. How could this doctor tell?

"Excuse me?"

"Are you pregnant, or might you be," the doctor repeated patiently.

C.J. hesitated.

"No…maybe."

The doctor raised her brows.

"Which is it?"

C.J. sighed.

"Maybe," she said, "I don't know for sure."

The doctor furrowed her brows.

"Maybe you'd better see your doctor to get a test done," the doctor said, "though to be on the safe side, I'm going to have to limit your painkilling options."

C.J. nodded. So it had just been a routine medical question after all.

"That will be fine."

Then she braced herself as the doctor prepared to stitch her up.

* * *

Matt sat in the lobby of the clinic with the others waiting for the doctor to finish. Gracie brought him back some water.

"It shouldn't take that much longer," she said.

He looked at his cup.

"It could have been a lot worse," he said.

"I'm sure she's just going to need some stitches and it will be much harder on the doctor than on her."

Matt smiled.

"Neither of us like getting hurt."

"You picked a funny profession then to avoid it," Gracie noted.

He looked at her.

"We both love our careers even with all the risks involved."

She nodded.

"I know that," she said, "C.J. doesn't want to do anything else but work with you investigating cases."

He sipped his water thoughtfully.

"She thought that was all going to change when I married Elizabeth," he said, "Of course that didn't happen."

"It's only because she cares about you Matt and I think she still worries that you'll turn your back on the agency if you get back together with Elizabeth."

He frowned.

"Did she say that?"

Gracie looked over and saw Elizabeth coming out of the bathroom.

"She's already told you that, Matt," Gracie reminded him, "She didn't have to say anything to me."

"Yes she did," Matt said, "but I'm not getting married to Elizabeth."

"Have you told anyone that," Gracie asked, "like the women involved in this situation what your plans will be?"

He rubbed the bridge of his nose.

"You're awfully interested in what's been going on lately."

She shrugged.

"C.J.'s been a close friend of mine from our sorority days," Gracie said, "and we've talked about what's been happening lately."

"Things have been a little…tense," he said.

She raised her brow.

"A little?"

"Maybe a lot."

She shrugged.

"You'll work it out," she said, "You always do as stubborn as you both are at times but she's got a lot of thinking that she's planning to do during her time off just so you know."

He furrowed his brow.

"Like what?"

Gracie paused.

"I'll leave her to tell you about it if she wants," she said.

Elizabeth walked over and sat next to Matt while he digested that.

"Have you heard any word?"

Matt looked up.

"No," he said, "The doctor is still stitching up her arm."

"C.J. is resilient Matt," Elizabeth said, "I'm sure she'll come out of this just fine."

Matt nodded.

"She usually does," he said, "but it doesn't mean I don't worry about her."

Elizabeth sighed.

"Of course not."

Suddenly, Ginger rushed into the clinic.

"I came as soon as I heard," she said, "Is C.J. going to be okay?"

"She's going to be just fine Ginger," Matt said, "So Elizabeth called you."

Ginger nodded and flung herself down on a chair.

"Never a dull moment," she said, "So someone actually threw one of those flaming…"

"Molotov cocktails," Grace said.

Ginger dismissed her.

"Oh whatever it was, at C.J.?"

"She wasn't the target this time," Matt said, "Some ex-employee had a grudge against the restaurant owner. He just picked the wrong window."

Ginger pursed her lips.

"Oh how unsavory."

Then she turned towards Gracie as if taking her in for the first time.

"You must be C.J.'s friend from college," she said, "One of her sorority sisters?"

Gracie nodded, suppressing a laugh at the sight in front of her.

"C.J. and I go way back," she said, "I'm here to make sure she does some relaxing."

"That's a tall order," Ginger said, "Good luck."

Gracie smiled sweetly.

"Thanks, I don't need it," she said, "C.J. and I spent a nice day on the beach. It was only at the restaurant that things got a bit…rowdy."

"I'd say," Ginger said, "So when she's all bandaged up, do you have any plans?"

"Plenty of ice cream and some movies," she said.

"That sounds…tame," Ginger said.

"We're adults now," Gracie said, "We left our partying days behind us…for the most part."

Elizabeth sighed.

"Ginger, what are you doing," she said and then looked at Gracie, "Really I'm sorry about all these questions from my friend here. It's been a stressful day."

Ginger snorted.

"I'm just getting to know her," she said, "No harm in that."

Elizabeth didn't seem so sure. Suddenly, Matt looked up and saw C.J. leaving the examining room holding onto her bandaged arm. He got up and walked towards her.

"You finished?"

She nodded.

"It's just a little cut," she said, "I don't know why they wrapped it up like a mummy."

"Did they give you any prescriptions," he asked, "There's a pharmacy just down the street."

She looked at him for a moment noting the concern in his eyes and then looked away.

"I didn't…want any," she said, "I think I'll stick to Tylenol."

His eyes widened.

"Are you sure," he said, "When the local wears off, it might be painful."

"No…I'll be fine," she said, trying to smile, "Really, it's nothing some ice cream won't fix."

Gracie smiled.

"I guess we'll be going now," she said, "We want to hit the DVD rental place before it closes."

Matt narrowed his eyes.

"So you're going to sit back and unwind with some movies," he said.

C.J. nodded.

"Those were our plans anyway," she said, "Girls' night in."

He looked at her a moment, in a way that always touched her. Then he reached out and embraced her tightly, taking care of her injured arm.

"Call me when you get home so I know you made it safely."

She nodded, her body still tingling.

"You go home and get some rest yourself," she said.

Elizabeth turned towards Matt.

"I guess Ginger and I will be going too," she said, "We need to continue our discussion."

He looked at her and nodded, rubbing the back of his neck.

"So maybe we can meet tomorrow for breakfast," she said.

"I've got a stakeout that's going to last until at least noon," he said.

"Okay, then we'll make it an early dinner," she said, "I'll call you later."

He turned towards C.J. after Elizabeth and Ginger left. She raised a brow at him.

"We're going to finish our discussion that we started at dinner…last night," he said.

"I didn't say anything," she said, "I'm going home before I get in any more trouble."

"You still owe me a conversation," he said.

She just looked at him.

"I know," she said, "It's just not the right time for it."

He nodded.

"Fair enough," he said, "Go home and watch some movies, eat ice cream but get some rest."

"I will if you will," she said, giving him a kiss on the cheek before leaving.

He touched his face and watched as she and Gracie left him alone in the clinic.

* * *

Ginger and Elizabeth walked to her car.

"I'm glad that she's okay," Elizabeth said.

"I could tell that Matt was, too."

Elizabeth gave Ginger a funny look.

"Of course he is," she said, "why wouldn't he be?"

Ginger paused, unlocking her car door.

"No reason," she said, "After all, they are very close."

"That may be," Elizabeth said, "but I know that he wants me. After all, we kissed during dinner."

Ginger's brows shot up.

"You did," she said, "That's interesting."

"Is that all you can say," Elizabeth retorted, "I think it's only a matter of time."

Ginger shrugged.

"Maybe," she said, "I thought it was strange that C.J.'s toughing out her injury without morphine or something stronger to knock out the pain."

"She's probably used to these types of things," Elizabeth pointed out, "After all, she's been shot at least three times while working with Matt."

"Still…" Ginger said, "Anyway, I think you'd better accelerate your moves on getting Matt to the altar. You just never can tell what's going to happen."

* * *

C.J. and Gracie hit the ice cream in C.J.'s kitchen, before getting ready to watch the first movie. As she had promised, C.J. had called Matt when she reached her house and reassured him she was perfectly fine.

"Where's the butterscotch," Gracie asked, "Oh I found it."

C.J. also found the chocolate sauce and whipped cream. Gracie lifted her brow.

"That's not just for ice cream right," she said, grinning, "You can't let it go to waste."

"That's for me to know…"

Gracie laughed.

"At least you have your sense of humor," she said, "You've got quite a lot on your plate right now."

"You mean ice cream?"

Gracie put her hands on her hips.

"I mean everything that's been going on. Matt getting shot, you getting injured by a Molotov cocktail and having to decide where you stand with each other."

C.J. sighed.

"There's nothing to decide," she said, "Matt's trying to work things out with his former fiancée."

"You don't know that C.J.," Gracie said.

"True," C.J. said, "But you heard what he said. He and Elizabeth have a conversation to continue when things quiet down."

"He also said you owe him one."

C.J. went straight for the Rocky Road.

"I can't talk to him right now," she said, "Things are just so complicated."

"Are you afraid to talk to him," Gracie asked, "I never thought I'd see the day."

C.J. just looked at her friend as if she were crazy, and then shook her head.

"Of course not," she said, "Why would I ever be afraid? It's just that…"

"It's different now since you've returned from Tahiti after sleeping together," Gracie said.

C.J. poured some chocolate sauce on her ice cream.

"Yeah that, and I'm sure not how to handle it."

Gracie looked at her thoughtfully.

"Do you have regrets about what happened?"

"Yes…no," C.J. said, "I'm not sure. I don't think so."

"Sounds like a multiple choice test rather than a yes/no question," Gracie noted.

C.J. shook her head then tried her ice cream.

"Those two days were wonderful. And he's wonderful. But maybe he regrets it."

"Do you think that he does?"

C.J. just looked up at her then pursed her lips.

"You'll have to ask him."

Gracie wisely decided not to pursue it and then tested the chocolate mint.

"Needs some butterscotch," she said, "Hand it over."

* * *

Matt kicked back with his paperwork at his house with a late night snack. Once he had returned home and heard from C.J., he was finally being able to settle down and focus on spreadsheets and financial balances. Not long after he started working, his doorbell rung. It was his uncle checking up on him.

"I was passing through the neighborhood and thought I'd make sure you were taking care of yourself," he said, walking past Matt into his living room.

"As you can see I'm back home and just finishing up some of the spreadsheets I started this afternoon," Matt said.

Roy nodded, indeed seeing that Matt had been busy.

"How's C.J. doing?"

"She's at home with Gracie watching movies and relaxing," Matt said.

"Did they catch the guy?"

Matt shook his head.

"But they know who it is," he said, "So they're out looking. It's only a matter of time until they run into him."

"How's Elizabeth doing?"

Matt sighed, running his hand through his hair.

"Ginger's probably keeping her up with her wild theories about myself and the women in my life."

Roy's brows rose.

"Oh?"

"She's pushing for me to get back together with Elizabeth," Matt said, "at the same time she's been trying to get together with me."

Roy chuckled.

"Sounds like a difficult life."

Matt gave his uncle a look.

"What do you mean?"

Roy just shook his head.

"You know exactly what I mean," he said, "My brother didn't raise a fool for a son."

"Uncle Roy, get to the point if you have one."

"Matlock, the way I see it is that you've got three attractive and intelligent women surrounding you and giving you a lot of attention and you're enjoying that."

Matt narrowed his eyes.

"Now why would you say that?"

"No reason, except that you've got them all arranged in a holding pattern until you make up your mind where they will all fit in together."

Matt sipped his coffee.

"That's not true," he said, "I've been working hard to keep my business going and my former fiancée walks into my office out of the blue after two months and wants to pick up as if nothing ever happened."

"She obviously cares a great deal about you."

"That was after her best friend Ginger came in my office and tried to seduce me right out of my suit on top of my own desk."

If Roy were shocked at Matt's revelation, he hid it well. Instead, he shrugged.

"So what," he said, "You're a healthy young man who's always had an eye for the ladies. I wonder where you got that from."

Matt threw him a look, and then picked up his file he had been working on.

"Matlock…"

He looked up at his uncle irritated.

"You forgot to mention the third woman," Roy noted, "That would be your long-time friend C.J. right?"

Matt hesitated.

"That's actually the most difficult part of this situation," he said.

Roy went to pour himself some coffee.

"I thought so."

Matt turned to look at him.

"What in blazes do you mean?"

The older man looked at his nephew and took a stab in the dark.

"You and she didn't come back from Tahiti the way that you'd left," he said.

Obviously his uncle had been doing some thinking, Matt thought.

"I guess you could say that."

"Did you have a fight?"

Matt leaned back in his chair.

"Not really," he said, "I'm not sure what you could call it."

"What would you call it," Roy asked.

"A disagreement," Matt said, "A difference of opinion."

Roy chuckled.

"You've disagreed enough in the past," he said, "Sometimes enough to shake the rafters. You come to an understanding after some cooling off time and you go on."

Matt shook his head.

"Not this time."

Roy studied his nephew carefully, noticing that the confusion he showed was out of the ordinary for him. Usually Matt was sure of what he wanted, when he wanted it and pursued it with a single-minded focus. And his pursuit of the women he wanted was no exception to that rule.

"And why's that?"

"Look, if you've got nothing better to do than come down here in the middle of the night, maybe you could help me with some of this paperwork."

"Sure," Roy said, "All you have to do is ask but I don't think that's where your mind is focused."

"It's where it needs to be focused," Matt said, "If I don't catch up on these spreadsheets…"

"Your business will be fine," Roy said, "Besides I suggested that you hire that cousin of Murray's to help you with your books."

"I know," Matt said, "and maybe I'll reconsider on that but for now, I said I'd finish these records."

"We have that stakeout tomorrow," Roy reminded him, "so maybe you should get some rest so you won't fall asleep in the middle of it."

Matt tried to stifle a yawn.

"It's been a long day," he said, "It's been a long week."

Roy tried to suppress his smile.

"It's probably going to get a lot longer before it's done."

Matt grimaced, knowing that his uncle was probably right.

* * *

Hours later, he sat cramped inside a sedan with Roy as they cased an office building. Roy took out the binoculars.

"So where are we focused," Matt asked.

"The first floor office with the medical insignia on it," Roy explained, "That's where they're holding some of the merchandise for the clientele who just arrived."

Matt took the binoculars and looked through them.

"They would need more space for this kind of merchandise don't you think?"

"Only if they did bulk deliveries," Roy said, "but I think they're only using this office for a holding place until each sale goes through."

"So you're pretty sure there's a transaction going down right now?"

"That's what my source said," Roy said, "They should be wrapping up the loose ends right now."

"I've got to get a closer look," Matt said, opening the car door.

"Be careful," Roy said, "You don't want to scare them off and we're not sure exactly sure what the nature of the merchandise is."

"I'll find that out too."

Matt got out of the car relieved to be out in the open air. Not that he minded spending hours in closed quarters with his uncle but he needed a break. And they needed to find out if an illegal transaction was going down before calling in the police. He made sure his gun was close as he crept across the street approaching the window, keeping himself just to the side. He made it to the exterior wall of the front of the building and peered inside the window, looking through the slits between the blinds which were partially drawn. He saw two men standing inside engaged in some sort of discussion he couldn't hear. Looking behind him, he saw that Roy had his binoculars trained on him. He nodded back to his uncle.

He saw one of the men disappear and then return shortly later with two knit bags in his hand. The other man cautiously drew one of the bags open and peered inside. He saw a couple of containers resting on the floor nearby.

His eyes widened as one of the men put on some gloves and pulled the creature out of one of the bags. The snake was long and colorful, trying to coil itself around his arm. Suddenly it lunged forward and the men backed up. Matt's heart shot up into his throat. He turned around to his uncle, nodding to him and signaling him with his hand to call Hoyt.

He kept next to the building, hiding just out of sight.

* * *

C.J. sat on the bathroom floor of her home with her hands over her eyes. Anything to avoid looking at it…or rather them. All four of them lying in a neat little row. She heard a knock on the door.

"C.J. are you still in there?"

She removed her hands.

"I'll be out in a minute."

"That's what you said 10 minutes ago," she said, "Let me in."

C.J. sighed and got up to open the door and let Gracie in. She sat back on the floor and her friend joined her.

Gracie's eyes widened at the sight in front of her.

"How many tests did you use?"

C.J. looked up at her.

"I wanted to be sure," she said, "but according to all four of them, I'm…not pregnant."

Gracie picked up one of the empty boxes.

"They're pretty accurate but you'd better go get a better test done by your doctor," she said.

C.J. ran her hand through her hair.

"I'm not pregnant," she said, "It's just stress. I've been going nonstop since I got back and as soon as I relax a little..."

Gracie nodded.

"You're probably right," she said, "but…"

C.J. shook her head.

"I don't have time to deal with this right now," she said, getting up, "I've got to stop by the office before we go to brunch."

Gracie stood up.

"Oh no you don't," she said, "If we stop by the office, we'll never get out of there before nightfall and then we'll never make happy hour tonight at that new place I've been dying to check out."

C.J. raised her brow.

"To celebrate you not being pregnant of course," Gracie said.

Sighing, C.J. thought you could take the girl out of the party but not the party out of the girl. Gracie had been the life of every party that involved their sorority. C.J. spent most of her free time studying but took time out occasionally to party down with her sisters. She had been working hard lately…

"Okay, we'll do brunch and then drop by the office," C.J. said, "I've just got to check my messages."

"Matt's going out on the stakeout until afternoon," Gracie said, "Do you want to hit the office before he gets there or plan a near miss?"

C.J. shook her head.

"No," she said, "I'm not trying to avoid him."

Gracie blinked her eyes.

"Of course not," she said, "He just thinks that you're taking it easy for a couple of days because you told him that."

C.J. snorted.

"Like he's been taking it easy since he got shot?"

"C.J., you know how men like Matt are," she said, "You have to tie them down to keep them from going out and pushing themselves too hard."

"Now there's a thought," C.J. said.

Gracie's eyes widened.

"Don't tell me that you…"

C.J. just threw her an exasperated look and went to go change her clothes to get ready for brunch. Gracie just watched her, shaking her head.

* * *

The police sirens filled the air as several squad cars parked across the street from the office building. Matt still hung onto the side of the building out of sight of the two men conducting business inside. He saw Hoyt talking to Roy who stood just outside the sedan and then Hoyt directed some of his officers towards the building.

Matt waited for them to catch up with him and they all stood by the door. He told them what he'd seen.

"Anyone a herpetologist around here," an officer said.

"They might be poisonous," Matt cautioned, "I couldn't see them very well."

"We'll proceed in cautiously," an officer said, "but someone call the L.A. Zoo for help on this one."

Several officers crept around the back of the building with their guns drawn while Matt and another stayed in the front. Hoyt directed them from several yards away, with his hands.

Suddenly, the officer opened the door and with guns drawn, he and Matt entered the building. The two men dressed in suits looked up at them shocked.

"All right, drop everything and put your hands out where we can see them," the officer yelled.

The two men just looked at them and dropped the bags, before turning around and trying to take off. Matt and the officer had anticipated their actions and they ran to grab them.

"Stop struggling," the officer yelled as one of the men grabbed him by the chin.

Matt struggled to pin the man he had grabbed on the ground, while ignoring the sharp stab on his side, where his second row of stitches were probably being tested. He briefly envisioned the doctor refusing to patch him back again if he had to return to the emergency room then he continued struggling with the man who laid flat on his back. Out of the corner of his eyes, Matt saw movement inside both burlap bags which had been dropped on the ground. At least, the men had complied with that order.

The other officers who had gone around the back came running through an entrance and soon joined in the fray. A moment later, two men were handcuffed but refusing to talk and the officers stood over them while Matt tried to recover his breath. Roy came up to him.

"How your stitches doing?"

"Matt grimaced.

"I'm afraid to look," he said, "but I think they're still there."

"Hoyt's sent a snake expert from the Zoo to pick up the…evidence."

Matt looked over at the burlap bags and noticed that they looked a little flat.

"Uh, Uncle Roy, we might have a little bit of a problem here."

Roy also looked at the burlap bags.

"Don't make any sudden movements," he said, "Reptiles are only attracted to moving objects. If we remain still, we'll be fine."

"If you say so."

"Hoyt said they might be kraits," Roy said, "very poisonous. Can drop a man in a minute flat."

"Uncle Roy," Matt said, "Thanks for sharing that."

Both men just stood inside the office, looking and listening for any signs of the missing snakes.

* * *

Ginger and Elizabeth left the store in Beverly Hills with sacks of merchandise in their hands.

"I think I maxed out some plastic," Ginger said, "but I feel better. How about you?"

Elizabeth flipped her hair back.

"I hope that Matt's stakeout is going well," she said, "I can't wait to see him at dinner tonight."

"If you wear one of the outfits I suggested, you'll look smashing."

Elizabeth frowned.

"I'm not sure that's the look I want."

Ginger patted her on the shoulder.

"Sure it is," she said, "You want something that will knock every protest out of his mouth and have his attention focused on you."

Elizabeth stopped walking.

"You seen to think that he would protest or that his mind would be elsewhere," she said, "Why is that? Everything seems to be going so well."

Ginger hesitated.

"I…agree," she said, "but you need to step up your game dear."

"This isn't a game," Elizabeth protested, "at least not to me. I really want him back."

"I know that," Ginger said, "but it's been two days and you're still no closer getting him to the altar."

"This can't be done in two days," Elizabeth said, "Besides, I have a week and I'm sure that will be enough time to get us closer."

Ginger doubted it but didn't want to rain on her friend's good spirit. Besides she might be wrong.

"Look we'll head back to the hotel and get you ready for your evening tonight," Ginger said, "and we'll make sure you don't leave until you look absolutely perfect."

Elizabeth smiled.

"Thank you Ginger," she said, "and I'll be perfect. I'll be just what Matt needs his women to be."

Ginger rolled her eyes inwardly at her friend but then figured that if Elizabeth needed to be what Matt wanted to catch him, she would always start changing him after the wedding.

* * *

C.J. and Gracie entered the office from the elevator and before C.J. got far, Chris handed her a stack of messages. One of them was from Jason and she decided to call him first when she reached her office.

"C.J., I think we might have an ID on the man who shot Matt," Jason said, "But we're not sure."

"Great, who is he?"

"Clyde Jenkins," Jason said.

The name drew a blank, yet C.J. had recognized him on some level when she had first seen him in the restaurant.

"Who's this guy?"

"We don't know much about him yet," Jason said, "He's got few priors, mostly nickel and dime stuff."

"Shooting someone in public isn't even a two-bit crime," C.J. said, "He's moved up."

"I know that," Jason said, "But we're not sure this is his only name. Still, he's familiar somehow."

"I thought so when I saw him," C.J. said, "I'm not so sure now."

"I'll call you back when I find out more," Jason said.

She thanked him and then hung up the phone. Gracie looked at her expectedly.

"What did he say?"

C.J. looked through a stack of papers on her desk.

"They have a possible on Matt's assailant," she said, "but they need more information."

"Sounds noncommittal," Gracie said, "Can't these cops be more definite?"

C.J. bristled.

"Jason's doing his best," she said, "He really wants to nail this guy. So do I."

Gracie rubbed her arm.

"Matt's all right," she said, "Two days later and he's already running around getting into even more trouble."

C.J. chuckled.

"That's par for the course where he's concerned," she said, "He never takes his blows lying down."

The corners of Gracie's mouth rose.

"No, I'm sure he saves that position for other things," she said.

"Gracie…"

"At least you're not pregnant, though that's kind of a shame actually."

"What do you…, "C.J. started then thought about it.

"I always wanted children," she said, "but it's too soon and I don't want to be doing it alone."

"You wouldn't have been alone," Gracie said, "Something tells me he'd want an active role in raising his own kids unlike some men out there."

C.J. nodded.

"You know what I mean," she said, "Within the chronology of relationships, getting pregnant and having children isn't first on the list."

"No, it can't be unless you believe in immaculate conception."

C.J. looked at her pointedly.

"Are you making fun of me?"

Gracie shook her head vehemently.

"Not me," she said, "I would never laugh at a traditionalist but come on, a good looking guy like that who probably has great genes and looks great in jeans..."

"Your point being?"

"I'm just saying it's not the worst thing that could ever happen," Gracie said, "There's plenty of worse things out there than being an unmarried mother to be."

C.J. couldn't deny that. Still, it was not a future she had envisioned for herself back during the hours she spent studying at the library at Harvard School of Law.

"I know that," she said, "Anyway, it's all moot now."

Gracie chuckled.

"For now…"

"For a long while," C.J. corrected.

Grace just shrugged her shoulders.

"Now that we've settled that," she said, "Let's go out and have some fun."

C.J. smiled, liking the sound of that.

* * *

Matt and Roy looked around the office for any signs of the serpents but saw nothing.

"At least if they were rattlers, we could hear them," Matt said, "Give me one of those any day over some imported deadly and silent killer."

"Matlock," Roy said, "We're perfectly safe if we don't move."

"Well that's fine for now but at some point, we're going to have to get out of here."

A couple of officers entered the room. Matt held up his hand.

"There's a couple of deadly snakes running around loose," he warned.

"You mean crawling," Roy said.

Their eyes widened and they drew their guns.

"You're kidding right," one of them said.

Matt shook his head.

"Wait, I think I see some movement…there," the officer pointed to the corner near a desk.

"Be careful Clark," the other officer warned.

Matt watched as they headed over to the corner. Suddenly, something moved and he saw the officers jump out of the way and start shooting at the ground.

"I think I got him," the first one yelled.

"Great," Matt muttered, "Maybe we can all sit around a fire, have a barbecue and eat him."

Hoyt came running in.

"Hoyt…oh never mind," Matt said, "Just look out for a slithering Krait wondering around here somewhere."

Hoyt's eyes widened.

"The zoo herpetologist is on her way," he said, "She'll get them off of our hands."

Suddenly, Matt saw something coiling just above Hoyt's head. He pulled out his gun and aimed it at Hoyt.

"What are you doing Houston," Hoyt yelled, "Are you crazy?"

"Move a couple inches to the right," Matt said.

Hoyt stopped talking and quietly did just that. Suddenly he heard a pop and felt an object whoosh right by him and felt something drop onto his shoulders.

"Oh shi…"

He looked down to see the other snake lying dead in two pieces on the ground.

"I guess we're not going to need that snake expert," Hoyt sighed.

Matt shrugged. Hoyt looked at him sharply.

"You know how much those snakes were worth on the black market," he said.

"No Hoyt, I don't know. How much?"

Hoyt hesitated.

"You probably don't want to know. It's more than I make in a month," he said, "Let's get out of here."

Matt gladly left the building, satisfied that not only were two black market dealers in custody but he had accomplished that without messing with his doctor's needlework. Their clients would be happy to have their exotic animals returned once the police had inventoried their collection as evidence. He didn't think the owners of the two snakes lying dead in pieces on the floor would be nearly as happy.

Roy joined him at the sedan.

"That went well," he said, "Are you going back to the office?"

Matt looked at his watch.

"I've got an early dinner with Elizabeth later on so I'll stop by for a little while," he said.

"I called the office," Roy said, "C.J. found some more spreadsheets in her office but she catalogued them for you so your job should be easier."

Matt sighed.

"She's not supposed to be working," he said, "She's supposed to be relaxing."

Roy smiled at the tone of his nephew's voice.

"I'm sure she's fine Matlock," he said, "She and Gracie are out doing some site seeing."

Matt took one last look at the crime scene being processed by dozens of police officers.

"Let's get going," he said.

* * *

"Now this is the life," Gracie said, dipping her fork into some pasta at an outdoor café in Santa Monica.

"I told you it was a great place," C.J. said, "It's not Mamas but it's still good when you've got to have it."

Gracie looked at the people milling about around her.

"Lots of interesting people in this part of town," she noted.

C.J nodded.

"Not that we don't have plenty of atmosphere in the Bay Area," Gracie said.

"Of course," C.J. said, "and this place isn't that far away from the beach."

"Including Matt's beach house."

C.J. picked up some garlic bread.

"Why does that matter?"

Gracie paused.

"You're going to have to talk to him at some point about everything that's been going on," she said, "He has a right to know."

C.J. bit into her bread.

"Why? You know what the test read," she said, "All four of them."

Gracie looked at her patiently.

"But there's more to it than that," she said, "There's how you feel."

"There's nothing to say about how I feel," C.J. said, "Besides, when should we have this conversation? When he's out to dinner with his ex-fiancée?"

"He's not getting back together with her," Gracie said, firmly, "I didn't pick up anything really strong between them. Maybe she's trying to reel him in but I don't think that's what he wants."

C.J. started losing patience.

"Look, Houston has never had any hesitation of going after the woman that he wants," she said, "He's probably slowing down things a bit with her because she called off the wedding and he's being cautious."

"If you talked to him…"

"I don't want to lose him as a friend," C.J. said, "and I feel that something's changed between us already since Tahiti."

"Yeah, you became lovers, you learned things about him you never learned before, but that doesn't mean you can't also be friends," Gracie said, "Maybe even better friends once you get over yourself."

That got C.J.'s dander up.

"What the hell are you getting at?"

Gracie softened.

"I didn't mean that like it sounded," she said, "but you have an opportunity to build something with a man who looks at you and seems to like what he sees very much."

C.J. just looked at her, her jaw dropping.

"You look very cute when your cheeks get flushed," Gracie said, smiling.

"Just drop this," C.J. said, spearing her pasta, "because I feel my blood pressure going up and I've got a bread stick in my hand."

* * *

Matt sat in front of Baby trying with all the finesse he possessed to cajole some information out of the super computer. What he needed was C.J. who worked better with the computer than he did but she was checking out L.A.'s highlights with her friend. He would just have to make do without her to get the information he needed.

Roy walked in with his customary guava drink. Matt looked at it warily.

"You're really getting into this nutrition thing," he said.

Roy sat down next to him.

"It's good for you," he said, "You should try it."

Matt shook his head.

"I'll leave the fruit juice to you and C.J."

"She called earlier from the restaurant," Roy said.

"Is she okay?"

Roy studied his nephew.

"She's fine," he said, "She's out having a great time with Gracie but she wanted to make sure that you received the folders she put in your box."

"I think I did," Matt said, "I haven't really checked."

"Sounds like your mind's not on business."

Matt sighed and took a sip from his Scotch.

"It needs to be because I have so much work to catch up on," he said, "but I'm trying to figure out a way to let Elizabeth down easily and after doing some thinking, I don't think a way exists."

"Her heart's going to be broken," Roy said, "but she needs to know now rather than later."

"I care a lot about her, Uncle Roy," Matt said, "I just don't love her like I did and I'm wondering what that says about me."

Roy paused.

"Like I said earlier, you like the ladies," he said, "and every once in a while, one comes along that you fall hard for but it doesn't last."

Matt frowned.

"That's not really fair."

Roy continued.

"I was the same way myself until I met your Aunt Flo," he said, "There's nothing wrong with you just like there's nothing wrong with me. You just have to meet the right woman like I did."

"I really believed Elizabeth was it," Matt said, looking back on the computer screen, "I thought we'd get married and begin our lives together until she decided she couldn't go through with it."

"You could both get married now if you want," Roy said, "Nothing's stopping you if that's what you want to do."

Matt rubbed the back of his neck.

"That's not what I want anymore," he said, "It wouldn't have worked out. We're just too different and we want different things. Not going through with the wedding was probably a blessing in disguise."

Roy took another sip of his juice.

"But Elizabeth doesn't see it that way," he said, "She still wants to get married?"

"I think so Uncle Roy," Matt said, "and what I have to say to her is going to hurt her and that's not what I want."

"Of course it's not Matlock," Roy said, "You don't like hurting people. You spend your day helping them so it's not something you enjoy. But in this case, not telling Elizabeth what your intentions are will hurt her much more in the long run than telling her now."

"Doesn't make it easier."

"That's because you do care about her feelings," Roy said, "and I would expect nothing less from a nephew of mine."

"Thank you Uncle Roy."

"Life has a funny way of throwing curve balls at you," Roy said, "but it's filled with wonderful surprises when you least expect them and that more than makes up for it."

Matt nodded slowly.

"Even when you don't recognize them at the time," Roy said.

Matt started to say something but then stopped.

* * *

C.J. saw him out of the corner of her eye as they left the restaurant. He was standing in front of a building near a group of pedestrians.

"Look over there," C.J. said.

Gracie finished her coffee and then glanced over at the man.

"Who's he," she asked.

C.J. looked closer.

"I think it's the man from the restaurant the other night."

"The one who shot Matt?"

"Maybe," C.J. said, "I'm going to get a closer look."

Gracie's eyes widened.

"Are you sure you should do that?"

C.J. looked behind her.

"I'll be careful," she said, "He won't even see me."

C.J. walked slowly up to where the man stood outside a bank. Suddenly, another man came out to talk with him. She saw that the man looked nervous and began looking around. She turned her head to look back at Gracie so he wouldn't recognize her. Gracie just looked back shaking her head.

"Do you have it," C.J. heard the man say with a clipped accent.

"It's behind the building," the other man said and they both walked away in that direction.

C.J. followed making sure she kept her distance so they wouldn't see her. They turned into an alley and she tailed them. The two men stopped near a dumpster and against another building.

She crept up closer to watch them, holding her breath.

"Here it is," the second man took out a small box. The other man examined it and then nodded before handing it back.

C.J. stepped backward to get a better position and stepped on a discarded aluminum can. The noise attracted the attention of the two men and she made herself smaller behind the retaining wall.

"What was that," one of them said.

The other man looked around.

"Nothing," he said, "Now do you have the money or not?"

The other man appeared to go into his pocket but then C.J.'s eyes widened as she saw him pull out a silver gun and she knew for sure he had shot Matt with it the other night. She wasn't the only one to be surprised. The other man dropped the box on the ground and tried to flee, but the man with the gun grabbed him by his collar, pushed him on the ground and then shot him twice at close range.

C.J. almost jumped backward and then the man looked up from the man on the ground to her. She almost froze as he aimed his gun at her for the second time in about three days but since she didn't want to die, she dropped to the ground as bullets flew over her head. Bullets that would have hit her at point blank if she had remained standing.

Her heart nearly stopped as she heard footsteps crunching glass not far away from her. No doubt approaching where she hid to finish off the only witness to his latest crime. She tried to come up with an escape plan but knew she had to wait until he came closer to act.

She heard him nearing where she sat and stuck her leg out suddenly catching him off guard. Her foot came between his and he toppled down to the ground with a thud. She grabbed that moment and jumped up on her feet and ran out of the alley. She looked around for Gracie but couldn't see her. Suddenly, she hear sirens and saw the familiar sight of police cars stopping in front of the alley and officers jumping out with guns drawn. She just pointed to the alley trying to catch her breath.

* * *

Matt heard the phone ring and picked it up.

"Hello this is Matt," he said.

"It's Elizabeth," she said, "I just wanted to tell you how happy I am that we're having dinner tonight."

Matt hesitated.

"I'm almost done here," Matt said, "Just some more spreadsheets to add to some files."

"Take as much time as you need," Elizabeth said, "Ginger and I are going to hit the nail salon for some tune-ups."

Matt hung up the phone, his heart heavy. Chris walked into his office.

"Hi Chris," he said, "Did you find the files that C.J. left for me?"

She nodded.

"Hoyt's on the phone for you," she said, "Line two."

Matt furrowed his brow.

"Did he say what it's about?"

"Something happened in Santa Monica," she said, "The police are working with the county sheriffs."

"Sounds like something big," he said, picking up his phone.

"Matt, this is Hoyt."

"Well hello to you too," Matt said, "What's up?"

"C.J.'s down at the station," Hoyt said, "She ran into your bad guy in an alley."

Matt hid his shock.

"She was supposed to be out playing tourist with her friend," he said, "What was she doing in an alley?"

"Maybe you should ask her that," Hoyt said, "She's not exactly being cooperative."

"You're talking about the shooter right?"

"Whoever it was got away," Hoyt sighed, "but he shot up the alley pretty good and left a dead body behind."

"Oh God," Matt said.

"My words exactly," Hoyt said, "ID on the body said this guy was in computers. C.J. did say that she saw the shooting."

"I'm on my way Hoyt," Matt said, getting ready to leave his office.

* * *

C.J. sat in the waiting room with Gracie at the sheriff's station.

"They seem to know you here," Gracie noted, after another officer had greeted C.J.

"It's through work and not what you're thinking," C.J. said.

"You're pretty calm for someone who just got shot at," Gracie said, shaking her head.

"Been there, done that more times than I can count."

Gracie looked down at her hands.

"When I heard those shots, I didn't know what else to do," she said.

"You called the cops," C.J. said, "That was enough."

"C.J., what did you think you were going to do in that alley with that killer," Gracie demanded.

C.J. sighed.

"I just wanted to make sure he was the same guy who shot Matt and when I saw the gun, I knew."

"But then he tried to kill you," Gracie said.

"He missed."

"Fortunately, for you he didn't aim well," Gracie said, "but what you did was very dangerous."

"I know that," C.J. said, "But he's too dangerous to leave running around the city. He's shot at least two people in just a few days and those are just the ones we know about."

"L.A. is filled with dangerous people," Gracie said, "At least that's what we see on the nightly news up north."

Both women looked up and saw Matt entering the room followed by Roy.

"C.J., are you okay," Matt asked.

C.J. looked up at his worried face.

"Hoyt called you, didn't he?"

"Well yes," Matt said, "What were you doing in the alley?"

Gracie harrumphed.

"That's what I asked her."

Matt folded his arms and waited. C.J. just stared back at him.

"C.J., you could have been killed," he said.

"Just like you nearly were the other night," she countered.

"Hoyt said this guy murdered someone in cold blood."

C.J. sighed.

"I know that," she said, "It happened right in front of me."

"Now you're a witness to a murder," Matt said, "He might come after you to make sure you don't tell anyone."

"I saw him shoot you the other day Houston," she said, "but we just bumped into each other this afternoon."

"How likely is that in a city this size," Gracie mused.

"I'm not taking any chances with your safety," Matt said, "You're coming and staying with me."

C.J. stood up.

"What," she said, "I don't think so."

Matt set his jaw.

"C.J., this isn't about making your life difficult," he said, "This is about your safety."

"I've got Gracie staying with me," he said.

"It's a big enough beach house," he said, "You can both stay with me."

"I'm easy," Gracie said, "You know what I mean."

C.J. looked at her friend like a traitor.

"What is Elizabeth going to think?"

Matt frowned.

"What?"

"You know, your ex-fiancée who's come back into your life," C.J. said, "The one who might just want another chance with you."

"C.J…"

"No Houston," C.J. said, "What kind of message is this going to send her and don't even get me started on the field day Ginger will have with it."

"I don't care," Matt said, "Your safety comes first."

"I'm perfectly safe in my own home," she insisted.

Hoyt interrupted them. Matt and C.J. looked up at him.

"What are you doing here," Matt asked.

"This is a joint operation and I've been assigned to it," Hoyt said.

"Do you know who this guy is," Matt asked.

"It's Clyde Jenkins," C.J. said quietly, "or at least that's what he's going by."

Matt's eyes narrowed.

"How do you know?"

She sighed.

"Jason called me earlier and told me," she said, "but the name doesn't ring a bell at all and I know I've seen him before."

"Where and when," Hoyt asked.

"I don't remember," C.J. said, "If I did, I'd tell you."

"You haven't said much," Hoyt said, "Why not?"

C.J. looked at him and Matt.

"There's not much to tell," she said, "I followed him and the other man into the alley and they had a conversation and then Jenkins shot the other man."

"Not much is known about him except he worked in computer technology," Hoyt said.

C.J. furrowed her brow.

"There was a small box that they were looking at," she said, "At first, I thought they were drug smugglers but I don't think that's it at all."

"Maybe some other form of smuggling," Matt said.

Hoyt nodded.

"After that snake smuggling operation we busted today, I'm prepared for anything."

C.J. frowned.

"Who smuggled snakes?"

Matt looked at her.

"One of our clients told us when it was going down and we caught them in the act and Hoyt's guys busted them."

Hoyt shook his head.

"Not before the merchandise escaped and gave us a scare," he said, "Houston shot right over my head hitting one of those snakes."

C.J.'s eyes widened, then she put her hands on her hips.

"And when were you going to tell me about that?"

Matt looked sheepish.

"It all worked out well in the end," he said, "except maybe for the owner of those snakes."

"Were they poisonous?"

Hoyt nodded, before Matt could warn him.

"Deadly in fact," he said, "One ounce of venom could take out half a city's block."

She shook her head and then looked at her best friend.

"And you say I put myself in danger," she said, "You could have been killed so before you get judgmental with me, you should look at your own actions."

"C.J…"

"Don't 'C.J.' me," she said, "I took precautions just like I'm sure that you did and I will continue to do so."

He wisely decided to just drop it.

"We're going to be running extra patrols by your house," Hoyt told C.J., "Just in case he tries to find you."

Gracie looked at all of them.

"Is this like normal for all of you?"

"Thanks Hoyt," Matt said.

C.J. nodded and then looked up at the lieutenant.

"Am I free to go?"

He nodded.

"We might need to get in touch with you later," he said.

"That's fine," she said, "But Gracie and I will be out tonight unless you have a problem with that."

Matt said nothing.

"Okay, then we're going to go and get ready," C.J. said, "There's a jazz musician doing a show at a club and we don't want to be late."

"C.J. are you sure…"

She turned to look at him.

"Houston, you've got a dinner date with Elizabeth," she said, looking at her watch, "and I'm sure you're already running late so you'd better get a move on if you want to make up for lost time."

"Call me when you get back tonight," he said, "so I know you made it back safely."

She almost objected but after seeing his brows knit with concern, nodded instead.

"We'll be fine," she said as the two women left.

* * *

Matt and Hoyt watched them go.

"She's a grown woman Houston," Matt said, "She can take care of herself…most of the time."

"I could have lost her today Hoyt," Matt said.

Hoyt slapped him on the back.

"You didn't," he said, "and it will be worse if you try to pen her in."

Matt already knew that but he couldn't shake his concern that she might be vulnerable to being attacked by the shooter if he found out where she lived.

"Matlock, she's going to be fine," Roy said, "Maybe you should give Elizabeth a call."

"Oh yeah…I got to do that," he said, seeking out a pay phone.


	5. Chapter 5

Here's the latest installment of this older FF story. Thanks for reading and thanks for the comments! It's kind of strange but the 1980s was a whole 'nother decade.

* * *

Matt put in a quarter and called her hotel number.

Elizabeth had just returned from getting her nails done and after laying out one of her new outfits, she sank on the bed to take a nap before she had to get ready for dinner. She had woken with a start and noticed she was running late.

She looked for Ginger who was out on the balcony reading a magazine and drinking Scotch.

"Why didn't you wake me?"

Ginger looked up at an irate Elizabeth.

"You needed your rest for tonight," Ginger said, "You have plenty of time to get ready for your dinner date."

"I don't know if I'd call it a date," Elizabeth said, "I'm just hoping that Matt's had some time to think over what I said and can give me his answer."

Ginger stretched her arms.

"Ah, the good old fashioned ultimatum," she said, nodding approvingly.

Elizabeth folded her arms.

"It's no such thing," she said, "I just want to know where we stand."

Ginger shrugged.

"Fair enough," she said, "but you'll know that depending on whether or not either of you is still standing by the end of the evening."

Elizabeth shook her head.

"Ginger…"

"You know it's the truth," Ginger said, "And you know that's why you had a makeover today."

Elizabeth raised her hands.

"Enough Ginger," she said, "I have to get ready."

She walked back into the hotel room when the phone rang. She picked it up.

"Elizabeth, it's me."

Her face brightened.

"Oh Matt, I was just thinking about you."

"Look I'm sorry I didn't call earlier, but things have been busy on my end."

"That's fine, I don't need to know the details," she said, "I'm just glad to hear from you. Are we still on tonight?"

"Of course," he said, "I haven't forgotten. I'll pick you up at seven."

"Where are we going,"

"A Cajun place downtown in Hollywood," he said.

"Sounds great," she said, "I'll be ready."

Matt hung up the phone, shaking his head wondering how he was going to break it to her.

Elizabeth hung up her phone, thinking _it's now or never_.

* * *

C.J. and Gracie parked their car and went into the crowded club, to find some seats preferably away from any windows. A waiter came by asking them if they wanted any drinks. Both decided after their exciting day to just stick to club soda in case they had to react to any emergency in a hurry.

"I heard this band at home," Gracie said, "They're awesome."

C.J. leaned back in her chair trying to relax and unwind after being shot at earlier.

"You know he just acts like that because he cares about you," Ginger said.

C.J. rubbed the back of her neck.

"I know that," she said, "But I got shot at. He got shot. There's a difference."

Gracie folded her arms.

"You two are so stubborn," she said, "You'd give anyone fits who tried to take care of you."

"At least he's out having a quiet dinner with Elizabeth instead of chasing some bad guy."

"I wonder if she's made her move by now," Gracie surmised, "or is she waiting until dessert."

C.J. tilted her head.

"She can't force him into anything he doesn't want," she reasoned, "If it works, then it's because he wanted it to work."

Gracie shook her head.

"You have an amazing attitude about all this," she said, "If it were me, I don't know if I'd handle it so well."

C.J. felt her frustration growing.

"I just want what's best for him," she said, sipping her drink.

Gracie just looked at her friend.

"Like I said, you're a better woman than I am."

* * *

Matt picked up Elizabeth and they left with an admonition from Ginger to not stay out too late. As they pulled into the restaurant, a valet came up to take his car and they both walked inside the restaurant, which Elizabeth told Matt had received four starred reviews from the food critiques for its excellent cuisine and atmosphere.

They sat down and ordered some food.

"Pretty nice setting," Elizabeth said, "It reminds me of my last trip to Mardi Gras."

He smiled.

"Yeah, C.J. and I had a case involving a missing heirloom that took us out there," he said, "One of the strangest cases we ever handled."

Her smile froze. Only 15 minutes spent in the restaurant and he already started talking about her.

"That sounds nice," she said, as the waiters brought them their food.

"It's certainly been an eventful day."

She looked up and noticed he seemed tired.

"I can imagine," she said, "but it's like that for you every day, isn't it?"

He sighed.

"Mostly, but I wouldn't trade my life for anyone else's," he said.

She shook her head, trying to keep the trepidation out of her voice.

"Matt, those snakes could have killed you today," she said, "I don't know sometimes how you can look back on days like this one and value them so much."

"Elizabeth, I'm here and I'm fine," he said, "and everything turned out on that case the way it should. The bad guys got arrested, our clients got their property back and no one was hurt."

She played with her napkin.

"Don't you ever worry that you won't come back home at all one day?"

He paused, looking into his drink.

"Sometimes," he admitted, "but that's true of anyone in any profession."

"Not entirely Matt," she said, "Maybe for police officers and fire fighters. People who risk their lives on a daily basis but for most people, they don't face danger like you do."

"It's what I chose to do with my life Elizabeth," he said, "I like helping people. That's the way my daddy raised me."

Elizabeth sipped her drink.

"Do you enjoy the danger?"

"I like the excitement sometimes," he said, "but not the danger. It just comes with the job."

She digested that for a moment, that there was a difference between the two.

"Elizabeth, I told you that I couldn't give up my life," he said, "and that hasn't changed. It's too much of who I am."

"What if C.J. asked you to give it up?"

He looked startled.

"Where did that come from?"

She shrugged.

"I'm just wondering," she said, "If she asked you to give your job up tomorrow to marry her, would you?"

He was taken aback.

"We're not getting married," he said, "We're friends."

"But if you were, would you do it?"

He paused.

"She would never ask me to give it up," he said, "She loves it as much as I do."

Elizabeth leaned back in her seat.

"Maybe that's what it's all about," she said, "Maybe I'm asking the wrong question here."

* * *

C.J. and Gracie enjoyed their meal and relaxed as they listened to the music.

"This is great being out at a club," Gracie said.

"Didn't you own one once?"

Gracie laughed.

"It's not the same," she said, "When you own a club, you're too busy running it and bossing everyone around to enjoy the musical acts that you hire."

"Houston would love this band," she said, "and he could certainly use the relaxation."

C.J. started to close her eyes then she caught some movement across the room.

"Damn, it's her."

Gracie looked around and saw Ginger talking to the bar tender.

"How did she wind up here?"

C.J .shrugged.

"I don't know, but I hope she doesn't see us."

Alas, too late for that as the vivacious Ginger made her way across the room towards them.

"Hi there," she said, sitting down with them, "Imagine running into the two of you."

"Imagine that," Gracie said, "I guess L.A. isn't all that big after all."

Ginger snapped her fingers to call for a waiter.

"I just love music, don't you," she said, "and L.A. has so many great clubs."

The waiter came by and took her order. She asked for a Scotch on the rocks.

"Can I get you anything," she asked, "I brought my plastic tonight."

C.J. looked at her own club soda and lime. At the rate she was pouring them down these days, she should be the national spokeswoman for this drink. Gracie ordered a sparkling wine and some chips. Ginger helped herself to them.

"It's really great to get out and unwind," she said, "Beats spending the night in my hotel by myself."

"I don't think that should be a problem," Gracie said, "I'm sure your roommate will be returning soon."

Ginger sent her a frosty look.

"I don't think so," she said, "I think she's busy with Matt right now."

"I don't think he wants to marry her or even want to sleep with her," Gracie said, "He's probably just trying to let her down easy."

C.J. looked at her friend puzzled.

"Gracie, what are you doing?"

"I'm trying to listen to these great musicians but Ginger here, is trying to make a point here although I'm not sure what it is exactly."

Ginger shook her head.

"I'm just pointing out the obvious," she said, "and that is that Elizabeth and Matt will be heading down the aisle again."

Gracie guzzled her drink.

"Oh that's good because I missed the first debacle and I want to have a second chance to catch it."

Ginger put her drink down and folded her arms.

"Is that supposed to be a joke dear?"

Gracie shrugged.

"I guess you could call it that."

Ginger turned to C.J. who just sat there nursing her soda and watching.

"Would you like to contribute anything?"

C.J. just looked at the both of them.

"I think you've both hit all the main points," she said, "I'm listening to the music."

"Oh come on," Ginger said, "You've slept with the guy. Surely, you have something to say about it."

C.J.'s mouth hung open. Ginger knew she hit pay dirt and continued.

"Yes you did, when the both of you took off on the honeymoon that he originally was supposed to be going on with his bride," she said, "and when he was weak, you seduced him."

"What?"

Ginger nodded.

"Only the next day or two he decided he didn't want you after all," she said, "So you got bitter and you're now sitting here jealous of my friend and the happiness she's trying to have with her fiancé."

Gracie ordered another sparkling wine.

"Ex-fiancé," she corrected.

C.J. rubbed the bridge of her nose, not sure who irritated her more at this point.

"My relationship with him is none of your business," she said, "If you're trying to bait me into participating in this train wreck of a conversation, you're wasting your time."

Gracie sized up Ginger.

"I'm guessing it's you who are jealous," she said, "because you probably made a play or two for Matt and he turned you down flat."

A waiter came over to where the women sat.

"Ladies," he said, "some of the customers are complaining about the noise from your booth. You know people come here to relax and listen to the music not tune into a love triangle playing out."

Ginger huffed and swallowed down her Scotch.

"A love triangle," she said, "You've got it all wrong. I never made a serious play for the guy. It was just me, him and some hard pieces of furniture and I couldn't let a perfect opportunity go to waste…"

Ginger put her hand over her mouth. C.J. and Gracie looked at her.

"Maybe I should have kept that to myself," she said.

The harried waiter just threw up his hands.

"Ladies, you're going to have to cool it or we'll have to get the bouncers to show you the door."

Gracie shrugged.

"I don't know why she's trying to pick a fight here with my friend here," she said, "and now she's accusing her of trying to seduce her friend's ex-fiancé when people in glass houses shouldn't throw stones."

The waiter thoroughly confused by now just walked away. C.J. just shook her head and sipped her soda.

"So what is he like," Ginger asked.

C.J. just looked at her blankly.

"What?"

"Is he any good," Ginger pressed.

C.J. just looked back at her wishing she were anywhere else but here.

* * *

"Matt…did you hear a word I said?"

He blinked his eyes and looked at Elizabeth who looked back at him, concern flashing in her eyes.

"I'm sorry," he said, "I was just thinking about something from earlier today."

She put her chin on her hand and watched him.

"Like what?"

"That I left Uncle Roy to handle the invoices."

She reached out for his hand and took it in hers.

"So what," she said, "He can handle it. I thought we were going to forget about your work for a while."

Matt grimaced. The references to his work grated on him, almost as if it were some sundry detail that needed to be shuttled to the background. He didn't see it that way and was proud of what he had accomplished with his investigation firm. He knew she didn't mean anything by it but it still bothered him.

"I'm sorry Elizabeth," he said, "I know I promised you that and I meant it."

She smiled at him, squeezing his hand.

"I know it's important to you," she said, "but I just wanted to have you all to myself for a little while."

Guilt filled him because he hadn't been good at not thinking about work and that wasn't the worst of it. He hadn't been honest to her about his feelings towards her.

"Elizabeth…"

The waiter brought them dessert and put their plates in front of him.

"Oh Matt," she said, "I love crème brulee."

She sampled it.

"Oh this is lovely," she said, with a sigh.

Matt just looked at her, wishing he could be anywhere else.

* * *

C.J. and Gracie waited in line for the restroom.

"I'm sorry about that back there," Gracie said.

C.J. looked at her friend.

"It's not your fault," she said, "Ginger just gets on my nerves."

Gracie chuckled.

"I don't think she can help herself."

C.J leaned against the wall.

"Maybe," she said, "but what happened between Houston and me is none of her business."

Gracie looked at her sideways.

"You're obviously sensitive about it," she noted.

Her friend rubbed her arms.

"I don't think so," she said, "What we had was nice but it was a holiday thing."

Gracie broached the topic gently.

"Did he tell you that," she said, "or did he have anything to say about it at all?"

"He agreed," C.J. said, "We both believed it was for the best."

"And now?"

C.J. paused.

"I'm not so sure," she said, "That time I spent with him in Tahiti was the best time I ever had in my life."

The line inched closer.

"Maybe he's sitting somewhere thinking the same thing," Gracie said.

"He's sitting somewhere with Elizabeth and maybe Ginger's right…"

"Get your hands off of me you thug," a woman said.

Both C.J. and Gracie looked up and saw Ginger pulling away from an older man with a leather jacket. He kept pulling her in the opposite direction. She kicked him in the leg and he let her go.

C.J. sighed.

"It looks like she's in trouble," she said.

Gracie shrugged.

"Let the bouncers handle it," she said.

C.J. looked around the crowded room.

"I don't see them."

Ginger kicked the man again.

"You bitch," he yelled.

"What did you call me," she demanded.

C.J. left the bathroom line and walked up to the man grabbing his arm.

"Maybe you should just let go of her and walk away," she said.

The man just stared down at her.

"Who the hell are you," he said.

"Someone who thinks you need some adjustment on how you treat women."

He tried to grab her and she dodged him, before grabbing him and slamming him down on the ground. Naturally, that's when the bouncers showed up.

"Did you see what she did to this creep," Ginger said, "That will teach him."

The man tried to grab her leg and pull her on the ground. She tried stamping on his foot, but C.J. reached down and bent his arm back until he yelled.

"Let me go," he yelled.

"What are you doing," another voice yelled.

C.J. looked and saw that several police officers had arrived and were pulling her and Ginger off the ground. Ginger positively purred.

"Oh officers, thank goodness you came to help…"

The officer pulled her arms behind her and handcuffed her. They grabbed C.J. and handcuffed her while the bouncers helped the man to his feet.

"Did you see what these women did?"

Ginger exploded.

"What we did," she said, "What about what he did to me?"

"You'll have to tell it to a judge," one of the officers said gruffly as he and the other officer pushed her and C.J. outside to their squad cars.

Gracie came running and stood helpless as the other two women were led away. She made eye contact with C.J. who looked exasperated.

"Whatever you do, don't call Houston," C.J. said.

"I'll take care of it C.J.," Gracie said, "Don't worry about a thing."

Elizabeth finished her dessert and noticed that Matt hadn't touched his plate.

"You weren't hungry," she said, "or are you worried about C.J.?"

He looked up at her surprised.

"She just had someone shoot at her today who could be looking for her right now," he said, "I'd feel better if I called her to make sure she's okay."

"She and her friend went to that jazz club, don't you remember?"

He nodded.

"They must still be there."

Hopefully having a great time, he thought.

"I'm sure they're having a lot of fun and that they're safe and sound," Elizabeth said.

He nodded again.

"You're probably right."

C.J. and Ginger sat together in the holding tank at Parker Center in downtown Los Angeles, waiting to be processed with about a half-dozen other women.

"Are they…"

C.J. looked at the scantily dressed women sitting on benches looking bored.

"Ladies of the night," Ginger finished.

C.J. looked at her testily.

"I don't know," she said, "Why don't you ask them?"

Ginger shook her head.

"They might try to accost me."

C.J. just shook her head and wrapped her hands around her. Suddenly a familiar face walked by.

"Jason is that you," she said standing up.

He did a double take.

"C.J. what the hell are you doing in there?"

She sighed.

"It's a long story," she said, "I'm trying to figure out who to make my one phone call to."

"Why aren't you calling Matt," he asked.

She shook her head.

"I don't want him involved in this," she said, "He's got enough on his mind and he's out having dinner with Elizabeth."

"The ex-fiancée," he guessed, "What happened?"

Ginger saw him and jumped up.

"I remember you from the other night," she said, "You're a sight for sore eyes."

He studied her.

"You're…Ginger," he said, "The friend of the woman Matt nearly married."

She put her finger up.

"They might still get married."

His eyes narrowed.

"Really," he said, "Because I ran into him earlier today and he didn't mention anything about a wedding."

C.J. rubbed her forehead.

"We're not supposed to be in here actually," she said, "A regular was roughing up Ginger and I tried to help her…"

He smiled.

"And you tried out those moves that I taught you," he said.

She nodded.

"They worked very well," she said, "too well I think."

"I'll see what I can do to help you," he said, "I'm sure this can get all cleared up."

"Thanks Jason," C.J. said.

* * *

"Matt, did you want to come tonight," Elizabeth said.

He looked at her and saw the distress in her eyes.

"Of course I did," he said, "I've just got a lot on my mind. It's been a chaotic few days."

She softened.

"I know that," she said, "It's just that I dressed up special for dinner tonight and got my nails done…"

"You look very pretty tonight," Matt said.

She frowned.

"But not beautiful?"

"That's not what I meant," he said, "I…"

A waiter walked up to the table with a telephone in his hand.

"What is it," he said.

"You've got a phone call from a woman named Gracie," the waiter said.

Both Matt and Elizabeth looked at each other. Matt felt apprehension tighten his chest.

"You'd better answer it," she said.

He picked up the phone.

"Gracie, what's going on," he said, "Is C.J…"

"She's fine Matt," Gracie said, "Well mostly, actually she's in jail."

Her words stunned Matt. It took him a moment to respond. Elizabeth just looked at him.

"What happened?"

"She was trying to help Ginger…"

"Ginger," Matt said, "What was she doing there?"

Elizabeth looked at him confused.

"Matt…"

He ignored her focusing on the phone call.

"They took her in for that," he asked incredulously.

"She and Ginger were both arrested on disturbing the peace charges."

Matt sighed.

"I'll be there as soon as I can," he said.

* * *

C.J. sat quietly in the cell waiting for news on when they would be released. Ginger sat for a while and then got up and started pacing their area of the cell for the umpteenth time.

"You might as well sit down," C.J. said, "You make me tired just watching you."

Ginger glared at her.

"I can't," she said, "What if we go to prison?"

C.J. snorted.

"For this," she said, "Don't worry, Jason is going to get us out of here."

"I hope he does," she said, "I've never been to jail before."

C.J. shrugged.

"I spent a couple days in jail once," she said, "but I had amnesia so I don't think that counts."

Ginger looked fascinated despite herself.

"How awful," she said, "What did you do?"

"I ran into a bad sheriff who was running a local brothel right out of the jail and he tried to force me to go along with it."

"Oh my goodness," Ginger said, "It sounds like a bad B movie."

"The reality was much worse," C.J. said, "but Houston never gave up looking for me and he busted the operation almost singlehandedly and everyone's in prison now."

Ginger studied C.J. thoughtfully.

"He would do anything for you," she said, "even risk his own life."

C.J. nodded.

"I'd do the same for him in a heartbeat."

"But you're not together," Ginger said, "Right now, he's out with Elizabeth."

C.J. shrugged.

"It doesn't matter to me," she said, "as long as he's happy, that's what I care about."

Ginger folded her arms.

"I don't believe you," she said, "I think you're trying to get your hooks into him."

C.J. laughed at the other woman.

"Hardly," she said, "If I were, he wouldn't be out with Elizabeth right now, would he?"

Ginger started pacing.

"I hope at least she's having a good time."

Watching her pace made C.J. tired.

"Why are you so invested in whether or not she and Houston get back together," she said, "That's their business."

Ginger stopped moving and sat down again, looking at her nails.

"Because he makes her happy," she said, "Elizabeth hasn't had the best luck with men."

"I'm sorry about that," C.J. said, "But Matt's a good man and as long as she treats him well, I have no problem with her."

"That's what she's been doing," Ginger protested.

"I'm not finished," C.J. said, "She has to respect his right to decide what is important to him in his life and just accept it."

Ginger paused.

"You mean his right to get beat up and shot at in a day's work," she said, "That's a difficult thing to ask. I mean, I'm cool with what he does and he's as sexy as hell when he's doing it but Elizabeth's got a different temperament."

"Matt's heart is in his detective work," C.J. said, "It's a major part of who he is and no woman who loves him is going to force him to change for her."

Ginger didn't miss a beat.

"Like you?"

C.J. sighed.

"He's been my best friend most of my life," she said, "That's never going to change."

"Not even after sleeping with him?"

C.J. glared at her.

"Like I said, my relationship with him is none of your business," she said.

"Even if it's in the past tense," Ginger said, "Come on, we're two women stuck sitting in this god forsaken jail with nothing really to pass the time."

"My life isn't going to serve as fodder for your entertainment," C.J. said, "So find some other way to amuse yourself."

* * *

Matt entered into the police station with Elizabeth tailing him. Gracie sat in the lobby and when she saw him, she rushed up to him.

"Thank goodness you're here," she said, "I haven't been able to see them since they came in."

"Don't worry," Matt said, "I just ran into Jason outside and he's trying to expedite the paperwork to get them released. There's no criminal charges that have been filed against them."

"So can we get them out of there," Gracie asked.

"It might take a little while but they won't have to spend the night," Matt said.

Gracie shook her head.

"C.J. didn't do anything wrong," she said, "We waited for some bouncers to help Ginger and none came. Some biker guy was groping her and trying to pull her out of the club."

Elizabeth's eyes flashed.

"Is she okay?"

"I'm sure she's fine," Gracie said, "She was sure trying to stir things up when she first arrived. I think she hit a bar or two before she showed up."

"I'm sorry," Elizabeth said, "She acts out sometimes but she means well."

"I thought C.J. was going to punch her at one point," Gracie said.

Matt's eyes narrowed.

"Why would she do a thing like that?"

Gracie hesitated.

"Ginger likes to push people's buttons and she was trying to pry into C.J.'s relationships with men...namely one."

Matt's mouth hung open.

"I…see."

Elizabeth looked between the two of them wondering if she were missing something.

"What's going on here," she said.

Matt sighed.

"We have two ladies we have to spring out of jail."

"Before they kill each other," Gracie added.

* * *

C.J. sat on the bench in the jail cell when Jason came back.

"I think you'll be released pretty soon," he said.

She nodded.

"It will be great to get out of here and go home," she said.

He glanced at Ginger.

"It's safe to leave the two of you together isn't it?"

C.J. smiled.

"Just barely," she said, "No, we'll be all right."

Ginger watched him go.

"He's quite well-built," she said, "though I think he needs to stop dressing down."

C.J. laughed.

"He's an undercover officer," she said, "You can't really expect him to stake out a drug deal in a tuxedo."

Ginger shrugged.

"I guess not," she said.

"Better leave him alone," C.J. warned, "I'm sure that some of those defensive moves he's taught me, he's taught his girlfriend."

"Oh I didn't intend to go after him," Ginger said, "Just to look at him."

A police officer jangling keys came to release them from the holding tank.

"Are you coming to release us officer," she said, "Did someone pay our bail?"

He just looked at her.

"There wasn't any bail," he said, "The charges were dropped."

"Oh how nice," Ginger said, "Now who do I see about filing charges against that Neanderthal in the club?"

C.J. shook her head.

"Ginger, let's quit while we're ahead, okay?"

"That thug pawed my silk shirt," Ginger said, "How am I going to get restitution for it?"

C.J. eyed it critically.

"There's nothing wrong with your shirt," she said, "but you can stay and argue with the watch commander about the charges. I just want to get out of here."

* * *

She followed the officer to the waiting area and saw Matt, Ginger and a weary Elizabeth waiting there. She closed her eyes, willing her best friend to disappear. She had not wanted him to know about this disaster. He stood up when he saw her.

"C.J., I'm glad that you're okay," Matt said.

She looked at him, smiling slightly.

"Why wouldn't I be," she said, "I think you should be concerned about Ginger. She's worried about her silk shirt."

Elizabeth stared at C.J.

"I'm sure it was a very traumatic experience for anyone," she said.

Elizabeth went to find her friend. Matt took C.J.'s hand and they sat down.

"Something about a brawl in a night club?"

C.J. looked at Gracie.

"What did you tell him?"

Gracie shrugged.

"That you went and tried to rescue Ginger from her ill-fated hookup with some guy," Gracie said, "What else would I tell him?"

C.J. just sighed, wanting to get out of the stifling confines of the police station and go home.

"Why didn't you want me to know about it," Matt asked.

C.J. looked at her hands.

"Because you just got shot a few days ago and you're trying to get your relationship with Elizabeth back on track," she said, "I don't want to interfere with that."

Matt rubbed the bridge of his nose.

"C.J., you were in jail," he said, "What do you expect me to do?"

"I'm sorry about everything," she said, "But we're safe and sound now and we got sprung so you can get back to doing whatever it was you were doing."

"Not until I make sure that you make it safely home," he said.

She put her hand up.

"I can make it home on my own," she said.

He sighed.

"C.J., why won't you let me help you?"

She felt exasperation fill her.

"I don't need your help Houston," she said, "Elizabeth is waiting for you."

C.J. stood up and looked at Gracie.

"I just want to get out of here," she said, then looked at Matt, her face softening, "I know you came because you're concerned and thank you, but everything's fine now."

He looked at the unsettled emotions on her face.

"I can see that," he said, getting up to search for Elizabeth.

* * *

Gracie watched him go and she and C.J. left the station.

"Why are you pushing him away," she said, "All he wanted to do was help you."

C.J. shook her head.

"He's been doing that a lot lately," she said, "He's got his own life to lead and he's trying to work on rebuilding a relationship with the woman he was going to marry."

"You're a part of it," Gracie pointed out, "and I think if he wanted to marry Elizabeth, they'd be flying off to Vegas in his fancy jet if it came to that."

They got into C.J.'s car. She put her head on the steering wheel.

"How did everything become so damn complicated," she asked.

Gracie furrowed her brow.

"I don't think it's that at all," she said, "I think you're making it more difficult than it has to be to avoid dealing with some personal issues."

C.J. turned to look at her friend and turned the engine on.

"I'm not avoiding anything," she said, "I just don't want to get in his way."

Gracie raised a brow as they rode down L.A.'s streets.

"Did you worry about that when you two hit the sheets in Tahiti?"

C.J. hesitated.

"There wasn't any reason to because he and Elizabeth had split up," she said, "I never knew that she would come back into his life."

"Would it have made any difference if you did know?"

C.J. almost bit off Gracie's head but then thought about it.

"I'm not sure," she said, "Maybe not."

"You would have slept with him anyway," Gracie said.

C.J. turned on a side street.

"When we were dancing on the beach, he kissed me and it felt so wonderful but I stopped him before it went too far because I didn't want to be…"

"A rebound," Gracie said, "What did he say to that?"

"He told me he wanted to be with me and not anyone else," she said, "Then he left and went back to the bungalow and told me he would be waiting for me if I changed my mind."

"Which you did."

C.J. nodded.

"Tahiti's such a beautiful, romantic corner of the world," she said, "I figured whatever would go on in Tahiti…"

"Would stay in Tahiti," Gracie said, "So you went back to the bungalow."

"And he was waiting," C.J. said.

* * *

Matt and Elizabeth took Ginger back to the nightclub to pick up her car. Elizabeth turned to Matt.

"I'd better go back with her," she said.

He nodded. She kissed him on the cheek.

"We'll talk tomorrow," she said, "We keep getting interrupted and you still haven't given me an answer."

He drove back to the beach house alone, mulling through the evening's events. C.J.'s words rankled on him because she had a perception of his relationship with Elizabeth which was so off-base but when he thought about it, he couldn't blame her. He had a lot to say to Elizabeth too but circumstances interrupted every attempt he made to tell her that he didn't think he wanted to marry her. That realization saddened him a bit because he had been so excited about their wedding only several months before. But a lot could change in even a short amount of time, he had discovered. And he had to deal with this growing between himself and C.J. Whenever he tried to talk to her or help her, she kept pushing him away.

Tomorrow, he had to have a talk with his ex-fiancée and tell her before she invested anymore of herself in trying to rebuild something that had been lost. Then he had to figure out what to do about C.J. if he could find the right words.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6---Here's the latest of this FF story. I hope you enjoy it and thanks for reading and the reviews!

* * *

C.J. woke up the next morning and dug her face under the pillow after remembering last night. She knew she should get up because she and Gracie had planned to return to the beach for another day of relaxation under the sun. She got up to shower, remembering to wrap up her arm in plastic before getting in so that her stitches wouldn't get wet.

She went to the kitchen to get some coffee and saw Gracie up and making some eggs.

"You're cooking breakfast…"

Gracie smirked.

"Yes, I can cook," she said, "It looks like a great day to soak up some sun on the beach."

"I've got to stop by the office and check my messages," C.J. said, "I promise we won't stay there long."

Gracie sighed.

"Okay," she said, "I'll kick your butt if you weaken and decide to work on this beautiful day instead."

C.J. felt pretty sure she wouldn't want to stay in the office too long but she just had to drop in for just a few minutes. She always felt uneasy being out of the office for more than a couple of days unless she was out of town on vacation. Matt had just been shot himself and she didn't want him to get stuck with all the work when he needed his rest. She knew that Uncle Roy and Chris would help with the workload but she still felt there was work she needed to do. Still, she wanted to hit the beach and get away from it all with her friend and forget about the last couple of months.

"I'll only be there a few minutes," she promised.

"Are you sure you want to bump into Matt after last night?"

C.J. opened the frig to get some juice.

"I don't know how I'm going to avoid it," she said, "I'll just apologize for giving him a tough time and everything should be okay."

"Yeah, he only did come running down there to see if you're all right."

C.J. stared at Gracie.

"Why did you call him?"

Gracie shook her head.

"Honestly, because I was concerned about you being locked up in jail and about Ginger being locked up with you," she said, "Jails are not very safe places."

"I know that," C.J. said, "But I don't want my whole life to be about Houston coming to my rescue when I don't need it."

"He's there because he cares about you," Gracie said.

C.J. ran her hand through her hair.

"I know he does," she said, "but he's got to focus on his own life and if he gets married, then that's where his attention needs to be."

Gracie scooped the eggs on to their plates.

"I think he is able to decide where to focus his attention," she said, "and like I said, if he really was in a hurry to marry Elizabeth, they'd be halfway to Vegas by now."

"You don't know that."

"I think you know it too," Gracie said, "You know that he's just trying to find a way to let Elizabeth down easily and let her go."

C.J. took a bite of her eggs.

"She wouldn't be here unless she felt she had hope of getting him back."

* * *

Matt sat in the sofa in the penthouse suite drinking his second cup of coffee. He had tried sticking to one this morning but after the activities of the previous night, he hadn't gotten much sleep. Uncle Roy had walked in and had seen him sitting with his spreadsheets on the table in front of him.

"So how's work going this morning," Roy asked.

Matt grimaced, looking up at his uncle.

"I'm trying to concentrate and get this paperwork done because it should have been finished days ago," he said, "but I'm having a hard time concentrating on it."

Roy poured himself some coffee and joined Matt.

"Did you get any sleep last night?"

Matt shook his head.

"Not much," he said, "I got home late after C.J. and Ginger were released from jail but I had a lot on my mind."

Roy just nodded.

"Elizabeth wants to resume our relationship and get married," Matt said.

"But you want to put the brakes on it," Roy guessed.

"I think our window of opportunity on getting married had already closed," Matt said, "But I'm not sure how to tell her that without hurting her."

"You can't."

Matt sipped his coffee slowly.

"I know," he said, "And I really don't want to hurt her, I just can't marry her."

"You're going to have to tell her that," Roy said, "And when you do that, you're going to hurt her. There's no way around it."

Matt sighed.

"I'm trying to find the right words."

Roy shook his head.

"There aren't any," he said, "But if you don't tell her now, there will just be more heartbreak down the road."

Matt knew his uncle was right and he dreaded being in that position of having to break his ex-fiancée's heart. He started to get up to head to his office.

"I'll tell her tonight," he said.

"Oh C.J. called," Roy said, "She's dropping by for just a few minutes."

"She's not supposed to be working," Matt said, "I told her to take it easy."

Roy sipped his coffee watching his nephew.

"She's not staying long," he said, "She and Gracie are spending the day at the beach. It's a great day for it."

Matt nodded.

"I just hope they stay out of trouble."

Roy chuckled.

"As long as Ginger stays out of the picture, they should be all right."

Matt grimaced.

"She and C.J. nearly came to blows last night."

"I'm not surprised," Roy said, "I sensed a tension between the two in recent days."

* * *

The elevator door opened and both men heard Chris talking to several people. C.J. and Gracie walked into the lobby dressed in beach gear.

"Uncle Roy told me you were coming here," Matt said.

She smiled at him on her way to her office.

"Just for a few minutes," she said, "Then we'll be out of your hair."

"C.J., you're never in my hair," he said, "How are you feeling?"

"I feel fine," she said, "I think taking a few days off has been good for me."

Matt paused.

"We need to talk," he said.

She shrugged.

"We can do that later," she said, "There's no rush."

"I've got dinner plans with Elizabeth tonight…"

She and Gracie helped themselves to some guava juice.

"Of course," she said, "I'm sorry about interrupting your dinner date last night."

He sighed.

"C.J., you don't have to be sorry," he said, "I just wish you had felt more comfortable about coming to me."

She bit her lip.

"I explained that last night Houston," she said, "You've got your own life and I don't want to get in your way."

"You weren't in the way," he said, "You were never in the way."

Something flickered in her eyes but then she looked away again.

"Look, we're both very busy so I'll just do what I need to do here and I'll be out of here," she said, walking into her office.

Matt watched her go.

"A little bit touchy don't you think," Roy asked.

Matt turned to Gracie.

"What's going on here?"

She just looked at him.

"You need to ask her that," she said simply.

"That hasn't exactly worked," Matt said, "She won't really talk to me."

Gracie shrugged.

"She thinks you're busy trying to patch things up with Elizabeth."

"Because I've been spending time with her," Matt said.

"Well…yes," Gracie said, "Really Matt, I don't remember you being this clueless in college even though you were a jock."

"What the hell are you saying?"

She took a deep breath trying to will some patience into herself.

"I'll just say this," she said, "What she said she was afraid she'd become during that little conversation you two had not too long ago, came to pass. Think about that."

Gracie joined C.J. in the office. Matt just blinked his eyes as she left.

"Did what she say ring any bells nephew?"

Matt looked down for a while and then he nodded.

"It sure does."

* * *

Gracie and C.J. lay on their towels on the beach, listening to the ocean crashing its waves over the rocky jetty. They had left the office nearly as quickly as C.J. had promised and headed down to the beach to unwind. Few people had gathered at the spot where they had chosen to relax and there weren't many surfers trying their luck with the shallow waves.

C.J. sat up.

"What did you say to them when I left," she asked.

Gracie sipped her iced tea.

"Why do you assume I said anything?"

"Houston looked at me so oddly when we were leaving," he said.

"Maybe he just likes how you look," Gracie said, "We just talked about college."

C.J. gazed at her friend, furrowing her brow.

"Just as long as you didn't tell him about anything that I've told you," she said, "I don't want him to know."

"Are you going to talk to him," Gracie said, "or are you just going to avoid him indefinitely."

C.J. trailed her fingers in the sand.

"There's nothing to talk about," she said, "He working on getting back with Elizabeth and maybe he'll think about giving up his agency again and doing something else with his life."

"Is this the same woman I sat in the bathroom with yesterday with a bunch of dip stick tests?"

C.J. sighed.

"They were all negative," she said, "I'm not pregnant and it's probably a good thing."

"What if you had been?"

C.J. thought about it and once again, found a myriad of emotions flooding through her.

"I don't know," she said, "I guess we would have worked something out between us and it wouldn't have messed up his plans with Elizabeth."

"Would that have been enough," Gracie said, "to have the father of your child on the fringes of your life?"

C.J. grew exasperated.

"It would have to be," she said, "Besides, this type of thing happens all the time. A lot of women raise children without the father in the home if it doesn't work out between them."

"I know that," Gracie said, "but I don't think Matt's that kind of guy."

C.J. shrugged.

"Maybe not but as I've said, it's moot now," she said, "Nothing to worry about."

Gracie smiled.

"I'm not worried," she said, "I know the two of you will come around and at least have a discussion about what you shared during your holiday."

"There's no point," C.J. said, "Not when he's in love with Elizabeth and she with him."

Gracie shook her head.

"I don't think that's the case at all," she said, "I think he wants to make things right with you."

C.J. sipped her tea.

"I'd like that too," she said, "It's not been the same since Tahiti. I was so worried that it would mess up our friendship and that's what happened."

"Only if you let it stand between you," Gracie said, "rather than being honest with each other about your feelings."

C.J. ran her hand through her hair.

"I'm having problems being honest to myself," she said, "let alone honest with him."

"What do you want, C.J.?"

She looked up at her friend.

"I want what we had at least," she said, "but I think I screwed things up."

Gracie saw the regret in C.J.'s eyes.

"No you didn't," Gracie said, "You just acted in a very human way and there's nothing wrong with that."

"He's the most important person in my life," C.J. said, "I don't want to lose him."

"If you talk to him and tell him how you feel, you won't."

C.J. sighed.

"Easier said than done," she said.

Gracie shrugged.

"Who said the most important things in life were easy?"

"Certainly not me," C.J. said

Gracie sipped her drink.

"Well there you go," she said, "but you have the chance to build something really special with a great guy and you're letting it go."

"Even if I did want to do that…"

Gracie interrupted.

"I know you do C.J.," she said.

C.J. took a deep breath.

"Even so there has to be two people committed to doing that and he's not committed," she said, "He's getting back with Elizabeth."

Gracie looked exasperated.

"So you think," she said, "You never asked him about it did you?"

C.J. pulled her hair back.

"I think he's made it clear," she said, "who he wants to be with."

* * *

Matt stopped by the police station and ran into Jason sitting in his office.

"What are you doing here," Jason asked.

"I'm trying to find out if there's any information on the guy who shot me the other night."

Jason looked through some files on his desk.

"Not much," he said, "Not even any other aliases."

Matt looked at his watch.

"So you've got nothing on this guy?"

Jason sighed.

"Nothing," he said, "but on the bright side, we did find the disgruntled ex-employee who threw the Molotov cocktail and the two art thieves are being extradited back to France."

Hoyt walked into Jason's office and frowned when he saw Matt there.

"What are you doing here?"

"Nice to see you too Hoyt," Matt said, "I'm just checking in to find out if you know anything more about the man who shot me. You did tell me to stay out of it and let the police handle it."

Hoyt waggled his finger at him.

"We're doing the best we can with very limited information," he said, "We're keeping our eyes open especially since he's started killing people…"

"You think Hoyt," Matt said, "We don't know if he's just getting started or if he's a professional hitman."

"Immigration control and Customs haven't come up with anything on him either," Hoyt said, "and he's probably only been in the country for a little while."

Matt nodded.

"He's making his stay here a memorable one," he said, "and we don't even know who his next target is."

Hoyt folded his arms.

"We're doing the best we can Houston," he said.

Jason turned around from the window.

"He's right Lieutenant Hoyt," he said, "It's not enough. If he's a hit man then he's in the country to carry out a job."

Matt rubbed his jaw.

"But if that were so, wouldn't he keep a low profile until the time of the hit," he said, "Why draw attention to himself shooting someone like me?"

"Maybe he's not entirely stable," Hoyt suggested.

"Maybe it's not professional at all," Matt said, "Maybe his target is personal."

* * *

C.J. and Gracie walked on the pier, taking in the sights of the booths and the fishermen standing in a row at the end of it casting their lines into the ocean, hoping for a bite.

"So what's on the schedule," Gracie said, "Any way for us to cause more trouble?"

C.J. chuckled.

"We could go do something tomorrow," she said.

"We could hit another jazz club," Gracie said.

"Yeah," C.J. said, and then she remembered, "Oh not tomorrow, Houston and I got invited to some gala at some estate. It's a charity function."

"Are you going together," Gracie said.

"I'm sure he'll want to take Elizabeth," C.J. said, "Why don't you and I go stag?"

Gracie smiled.

"Okay," she said, "I think I packed a nice cocktail dress."

"Perfect," C.J. said, "It'll be fun. I think they're hiding a band."

Gracie smiled.

"Then that's settled," she said, "We'll get dressed and go to that party and have a blast."

C.J. laughed.

"Just as long as we don't wind up in the social columns," she said.

They continued walking on the pier and then C.J.'s eyes narrowed.

"What is it," Gracie asked, looking in that direction.

C.J. pointed her finger.

"It's that man," she said, "He looks like the one who shot Houston."

Gracie looked incredulous.

"You can't be serious."

C.J. studied him more carefully.

"I am," she said, "I know it's crazy but it looks exactly like him."

She began to walk closer.

"What are you doing," Gracie asked, "You have to be careful with this man. He's a killer."

"I just want to get a closer look," C.J. said.

"But he'll see you," Gracie protested, "Maybe you'd better call Houston."

C.J. turned around to face her.

"If I do that, I'll lose him," she said.

"Maybe that's not such a bad thing."

C.J. ran her hand through her hair.

"He could hurt someone if the police don't bring him in," she said.

"He could hurt you if you follow him," Gracie said, "and Matt's definitely not going to be happy about that."

"You stay here," C.J. said, "I'll be right back."

Gracie rolled her eyes.

"That's what you said last time."

C.J. crept slowly up to where the man stood next to some fishermen at the end of the pier. He didn't appear to notice her arrival. She hid behind an empty kiosk and watched as another man walked up to him. They seemed to be carrying on a conversation and the guy that shot Houston passed received a folder from the other man before handing him some pieces of paper. She winced, wondering if he would be shot dead like the other guy had been but they just continued talking until the other man walked away. As the man who shot Houston walked in her direction, she tried to make herself smaller behind the small shack. He walked quickly by but not without dropping a small piece of paper near where she hid. He stopped and she thought he would soon retrieve it and she nearly stopped breathing. But he just looked around and kept going.

She sighed in relief then stepped out, and after looking in both directions picked up the piece of paper. Her eyes widened when she saw what was written on it.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7 of this older FF. I hope you like it and thanks for the comments!

* * *

C.J. looked again at what was written on the paper. It looked like directions to a bar located near the pier which opened in a few hours for a night-long happy hour.

"So what did you find?"

She saw Gracie walking towards her.

"Directions to that bar that the city tried to shut down last year," C.J. said, "Too many underage drinkers and loud parties."

"Sounds like just about every watering hole out there," Gracie said.

"This one also had rumors of mob connections," C.J. said.

Gracie looked at the slip of paper and then she saw the expression on her friend's face.

"Oh no," she said, "Don't tell me we're going to be dropping by that bar soon."

C.J. tilted her head.

"I want to find out more about this guy," she said, "before he hurts or kills anyone else."

Gracie put her hands on her hips.

"C.J., that's what the police are for," she said, "Give them the information and let them handle it."

"Like they've been able to do so far?"

"Have you told them everything you know so far," Gracie countered.

"You don't have to come with me," C.J. protested.

"Oh yes I do," Gracie said, "I'm not letting you go to some strange bar by yourself."

"Then that's settled," she said, "After dinner, we're going to go check out the bar. Maybe we'll get lucky."

"Lucky usually means you leave with some great looking guy and get some action," Gracie said with a sigh, "Somehow, I don't think that's what you mean."

"No I don't," C.J. said, "I'm hoping to find out more about this Clyde Jenkins. He looks so familiar but the name's not."

"Maybe it's an alias."

C.J. nodded.

"That's what I was thinking."

"Well it makes sense doesn't it," Gracie said, "that if you're going around with a gun shooting people, you might want to change your name."

"Maybe he has connections," C.J. said.

Gracie hesitated and then she bit the bullet.

"Why don't you call Matt and get him to help you?"

C.J. sighed and shook her head.

"Elizabeth would freak if he ran off on her to go rescue poor C.J. again,"

"He's not 'rescuing' you," Gracie pointed out, "He's helping you on a case. He's a licensed investigator right?"

"Yeah, but he's also working hard to rebuild his relationship with his former fiancée," C.J. said, "I don't want that on me if things don't work out between them."

Gracie grew impatient.

"It's not on you," she said, "I don't think Matt loves Elizabeth. It seems like she's the one trying to get him back."

"I don't want to rehash this here," C.J. said, "We'd better get back to my place so we can decide what we're going to wear tonight."

"I hope you didn't throw away your bar hopping wardrobe from back in the day."

C.J. smiled.

"I still have a few things."

* * *

Elizabeth paced the floor. Ginger grew exhausted watching her.

"So what are you going to tell him at dinner tonight," she asked.

Elizabeth sighed, finally sitting on the bed.

"I've told him everything," she said, "That I love him. That I want him back. That we belong to each other."

"Has he said anything at all?"

Elizabeth frowned.

"Not really," she said, "We always get interrupted and have to reschedule."

Ginger shook her head.

"It just seems to me that if he were really serious, he would just sweep you off your feet," she said.

"How can he when C.J. always needs him and he runs to her aid?"

"Was he this bad before they slept together," Ginger asked.

Elizabeth shrugged.

"I don't really know," she said, "When we're getting married, we were just so busy with each other…except when his work interfered and she's part of his work."

"Did he admit that they slept together," Ginger said, "Did he tell you?"

Elizabeth shook her head.

"I didn't really ask him," she said, "and he hasn't brought it up during any of our dates."

"Maybe you should ask him about it," Ginger said.

Elizabeth thought about that for a minute.

"Maybe I will," she said, thoughtfully.

Ginger sighed, just looking at her friend then a thought hit her.

Oh…before you get ready for your dinner date, we've been invited to this charity gala tomorrow night."

Elizabeth narrowed her eyes.

"What charity event?"

"It's at a posh estate and is the talk of upper society," Ginger raved, "You've got to get Matt to go with you."

Elizabeth frowned.

"He hasn't said anything about it," she said, "Maybe he's got other plans."

Ginger shook her head.

"That's not likely," she said, "He's been spending most of his time lately with you."

"Okay I'll ask him," she said, "and maybe by the time of the party tomorrow night, we'll have our relationship back on track and we can plan our wedding."

* * *

Roy shook his head watching his nephew pour himself another Scotch.

"Bad day," he said, simply.

Matt sipped his latest glass slowly.

"Busy," he said, "I'd rather be out doing a stakeout but these ledgers have got to be updated."

Roy poured himself more juice.

"I told you," he said, "You need to hire someone and Murray's found you someone who's perfect."

Matt sank back on the couch.

"I know," he said, "but until then, I've got to organize our financial records in case the IRS ever decides to audit us."

Roy watched his nephew noticing he was just a little bit more than tense.

"You worried about your dinner with Elizabeth tonight?"

"I'm worried how she's going to take what I have to tell her," Matt said, "Like I said, I don't want to hurt her."

"She's going to be hurt Matlock," Roy said, "I think she put a lot of her feelings into coming back but it's better that you tell her now rather than wait any longer."

Matt put his glass on the table.

"I'm going to tell her tonight," he said, "I just have to find a way to do it to minimize her pain."

Roy studied him.

"You don't like hurting people," he noted, "Even when you have to do it. But I have a feeling, she's not the only one you hurt here."

Matt picked up his glass again and studied it carefully.

"C.J."

"I'm not going to ask for any details of what exactly is going on between the two of you," Roy said, "but I hope you work it out together. You've been close friends for too long."

"We're still best friends Uncle Roy," Matt said, "That's the way she wanted it."

Roy raised a brow.

"Is that what she said?"

"She didn't want to do anything that would jeopardize that," Matt said, "I didn't believe we had hurt our relationship at all."

Roy looked thoughtful knowing he was missing some back story somewhere but not wanting to pry into his nephew's affairs.

"She cares about you an awful lot," he said, "Sometimes I don't think you're aware how much."

Matt sighed.

"I think I understand better than she thinks," he said, "or wants me to."

Roy nodded.

"Maybe it's hard to have those feelings and then watch that person paying so much attention to a woman he was going to marry."

Matt grew irritated.

"I'm not going to marry Elizabeth."

Roy shook his head.

"But neither of them know that, do they," Roy said, "Because you haven't told either one of them the truth and that's not fair to either of them."

* * *

C.J. looked at herself in the mirror.

"Is this really how women dress at these places," she said, horrified.

Gracie looked at her finished creation and nodded approvingly.

"I used to own a club remember," she said, "Your new look is actually quite subdued."

C.J. looked again.

"Well, I guess we do have to fit in with the rest of the scenery," she said.

"We'll do just that," Gracie said, "Are you ready to go?"

"It's been so long since I've been at a single's bar," C.J. groaned.

"We're not going to be on the prowl," Gracie said, "We're just going to do some recognizance."

"True," C.J. said, but she still felt uncomfortable in the short skirt and high heels, with a pound of hair spray in her hair and another pound or two of cosmetics on her face.

"Let's get moving girlfriend," Gracie said, picking up her purse, "We've got a stakeout to conduct."

* * *

Matt dropped by the hotel to pick up Elizabeth who was already dressed. Ginger wished them both well and then closed the door behind them.

"Where are we going Matt?"

He took her by the arm.

"I thought I'd take you to a seafood and steak place by the pier," he said.

She smiled.

"That sounds great," she said as they walked to his car.

While driving towards the beach, they talked about some of the great venues in the city for entertainment.

"Ginger and I are going to that major gala tomorrow night," she said, "Have you been invited?"

"Yeah, both C.J and I get invited every year," he said, "I was thinking about going and RSVPed, but I've been so busy lately."

"Oh Matt, we should go together," she said, "It would be so fun. I heard they've got great catering and there will be a music band…"

He thought about it but he wasn't really into big stuffy affairs and wearing black tie.

"I wonder if C.J.'s going."

She felt annoyed but didn't want to show it.

"I imagine she is," Elizabeth said, "It's the event of the season."

He shook his head.

"She doesn't care about things like that," he said, "She likes good food and spending time with close friends."

"Well if you go with me and she takes her friend, she'll get the best of both," Elizabeth said.

"What about Ginger," Matt asked.

"She'll understand," Elizabeth said, "Besides she knows a lot of single men in L.A. and some married ones too."

"If nothing comes up at work tomorrow, I should be able to go."

Elizabeth sighed.

"Matt, you have to take a night off now and then to have some kind of life," she said.

He furrowed his brows.

"I love my life Elizabeth," he said, "and my work's a huge part of that."

They turned onto the Pacific Coast Highway, which had its usual evening traffic jamming its length which forced them to stop.

"But you need to do other things," Elizabeth said, "rather than focusing on your career."

"I do a lot of things," Matt said, "I have friends and family who keep me in line when I focus too much on work."

A silence developed between them for a long moment.

"Matt is it over between you and her?"

He looked at her confused.

"Me and who?"

"You and C.J.," she said, "After you got together in Tahiti."

He remained quiet, leaning back in his seat stuck in traffic.

"Who told you that?"

She knew from his expression she had hit pay dirt.

"I don't think anyone had to Matt," she said, "It's written all over your face."

He nodded.

"We were together for a brief period of time," he said, "She thought it was best that we remain friends."

"And what about you?"

He looked ahead as the cars began to inch forward down the highway.

"I agreed with her."

Elizabeth nodded.

"Then there's no remaining issues between the two of you," she said.

"Elizabeth…"

She turned her head and looked out at the ocean as they drove past it.

"Isn't it beautiful Matt," she said, "The sky is so lovely tonight."

He just looked straight ahead.

* * *

"I'm not getting out of this car."

Gracie rolled her eyes at C.J. who sat in her seat and refused to open the door.

"What is this," Gracie said, "It's not like you've never gone undercover before and this could be a lot of fun."

"I thought you were worried it was too dangerous," C.J. reminded her.

"That was before I found out we'd be dressing up in these threads."

"I can't believe I'm wearing this," C.J. said.

Gracie looked her over.

"You look hot babe," she said, "Now we'd better get out of this car and into the bar."

C.J. got out of the car and looked around her before they both headed towards the bar. Loud music and people packing the establishment wall to wall greeted them. Gracie used her inborn radar to seek out the refreshments and C.J. just followed her. They both ordered drinks and went to squeeze into a corner booth.

"What if someone asks us to dance?"

Gracie looked over at the crowded floor and shrugged.

"Not all of them look that bad," she said, "or that desperate."

"Do we look desperate," C.J. asked.

"I don't think so," Gracie said, "I mean we're both just kicking back after a hard day…"

"Relaxing on the beach," C.J. said, "We need a better cover story."

Gracie shook her head.

"You don't need an excuse to be here," she said, "just an urge."

C.J. sighed.

"I don't see the guy anywhere."

"Maybe he hasn't arrived yet," Gracie said, "or maybe he got lucky elsewhere."

A man moseyed up to their table.

"Can I buy you gals some drinks," he asked.

C.J. and Gracie looked at each other.

"Thanks but we've already got some."

He leered at them.

"Sorry about that," he said, "Boy you ladies look sexy tonight."

"Gee thanks," C.J. said.

"Do you want to do some slow dancing?"

"I'm a lousy dancer hon," Gracie said, "What about you C.J.?"

She looked up at the guy.

"You're just not my type."

Gracie nodded.

"My friend here," she said, "She's getting over a busted love affair."

He took his hat off.

"I could help her with that," he offered, "I'm really a nice guy."

C.J. shook her head, feeling dizzy.

"Excuse me, I need some air."

She walked through the crowd, maneuvering through the wall of people. Outside, a cool breeze hit her face and she breathed slowly. Looking down at her getup, she almost burst into laughter, thinking how funny she looked.

"C.J. what are you doing here," a familiar voice said.

She looked up to see Matt and Elizabeth approaching them. Matt's eyes widened as he took in her outfit while Elizabeth just looked dismayed.

"Why are you here," she asked.

"We're here to eat dinner next door," Matt said, "C.J., what is going on here?"

She bit her lip.

"Nothing," she said, "Gracie and I thought we would just head out and hit some spot on the pier before heading back."

"So have you met anybody," Matt asked.

She looked at him uneasily but then smiled over it.

"The usual crowd," she said, "Not too much excitement tonight."

Matt looked into the bar.

"I can see that."

Gracie came out suddenly.

"There's no sign of him anywhere," she said.

Matt's eyes narrowed.

"Signs of who," he asked.

C.J. sighed, knowing she had to come clean with him.

"We saw Clyde Jenkins earlier on the pier and we thought he might be coming here tonight."

His eyes widened.

"You mean the man who shot me."

She nodded.

"Why did you think you might see him here?"

"Because when we saw him talking with someone on the pier, we found a piece of paper that was dropped," C.J. said.

She reached inside her purse and handed it to Matt. He examined it and then looked back at her.

"C.J., this man's very dangerous," he said, "He just shot at you not too long ago."

"I know Houston but the police aren't looking in the right place for him," she said.

"Why didn't you ask me to help you?"

She hesitated.

"Because I don't want you to spend all of your time coming to help me," she said, "Elizabeth is here now and I don't want to take away your time with her."

"C.J…"

She put up her hand.

"No, I mean it," she said, "Whatever happens between you, I don't want to be responsible for it."

"You're not responsible," he said, "Whatever is going on between Elizabeth and me is for us to work out. It's not for you to worry about."

"I'm not worried," C.J. insisted, "Only that you got shot the other night and you've done nothing but run around since like nothing's happened."

"I'm fine now," he said, "and I wasn't hit by a Molotov cocktail."

"It's my second one," C.J. said, "It's no big deal. Some glass just nicked me."

"So you're going to wait here until this Jenkins guy shows up," Matt said.

She nodded.

"That was the plan."

"Then what," he asked.

"We're going to find out what he's up to," C.J. finished.

He sighed.

"I'm waiting here with you," he said, "and no argument."

"Houston, you were on your way to dinner," C.J. said, "What about Elizabeth?"

Elizabeth just watched the two of them talk about her. Matt turned towards her.

"Maybe you'd better wait in the restaurant where it's safer," he suggested.

She folded her arms.

"No I can wait here with you," she said, "What's this guy going to do inside a crowded bar?"

C.J. and Matt just looked at each other.

"We don't know Elizabeth," he said, "but he did shoot me inside a restaurant and almost hit C.J. the other day on the street."

"If she can stay here with you, so can I," Elizabeth insisted.

Gracie looked at her critically.

"With all due respect," she said, "You're not appropriately dressed. You'll stick out like a sore thumb and ruin the whole operation."

Elizabeth looked nervously at Matt.

"Will I if I do that?"

Matt sighed.

"It might actually be boring if he doesn't show up for you," he said, "And a single's bar is not the most entertaining place to be unless men start fighting over their women."

Elizabeth sighed.

"So what's the problem unless you're going to get in the middle of it?"

He hesitated.

"I'm just here waiting for Jenkins in case he does show up."

She took his hand.

"Then I'll wait with you," she said, "I need to become more familiar with what your career is like if we're going to make this work."

Matt just looked back at her, thinking they were really going to have a talk but a stakeout inside a crowded single's bar wasn't the place for it.

"That will be good for her Houston," C.J. said, "Besides if anything happens, she can leave."

Matt thought about it and then nodded.

"We'd better head back inside," C.J. said.

Matt appeared uneasy to be bringing Elizabeth inside the bar but then C.J. thought he could always leave and take her home if he didn't like her being in the middle of a potentially dangerous situation.

They sat at the booth in the back for a while after ordering drinks and receiving a bowl of chips and salsa.

"Look at that guy hitting on every young girl in the place," Elizabeth said, shaking her head, "and they're just eating it up."

"That's why it's a singles bar," Gracie said, "It's for men and women to hook up and you know, go off somewhere and do the horizontal tango."

Elizabeth blanched.

"Well I know that," she said, "but where is their sense to not go off with men they barely know?"

Gracie chuckled, sipping her second beer.

"They're not using their brains right now but then neither are the men," she said, "Look at that older guy over there by the bar."

Elizabeth watched as he tossed up peanuts and caught them with his mouth as a couple of blondes tittered.

"Of course one wrong move and someone will have to do the Heimlich to keep him from suffocating on a peanut."

"I never wasted any time at a bar," Elizabeth said.

Gracie looked her up and down.

"I didn't think so. The cotillion looks more like your style," she said, "C.J. and I used to hit them all the time when we were back in college."

C.J. looked down at her drink.

"Only because they had dollar margarita nights," she said.

"Don't be so modest," Gracie said, "You were quite the sensation on the dance floor."

Matt furrowed his brow.

"I think I remember that," he said, "She still can dance anyone off into the sunset."

C.J.'s face flushed trying not to remember the last time they had been dancing together on that beach. He smiled, always reminded of how pretty she looked when she blushed.

"I had some good partners," she said.

A man who had been standing by the bar came over and asked her to dance. She smiled and said yes, following him out on the dance floor. Matt watched her put her hands on the guy's shoulder and he putting his hands on her waist as the music started.

"She loves dancing," Gracie said, "She needs a man who understands that."

Elizabeth frowned.

"That shouldn't be too hard to do," she said, "Find herself a good man who will return her feelings. She's attractive enough."

Gracie gave her a pointed look.

"What's that all about," she said, "C.J.'s gone out with many different guys who have fully appreciated what she has to offer. She has no problem in that category."

Elizabeth shook her

* * *

head.

"I wasn't saying that she did," she said, "But she might be happier if she wasn't alone."

Gracie snorted.

"She's not alone," she said, "She's got her friends including Matt here."

Matt looked at the both of them.

"Excuse me," he said, "I think I'll go refresh my drink."

Elizabeth handed him her glass.

"Could you get me another wine spritzer please?"

"Sure thing," he said taking her glass.

* * *

He walked to the bar and watched his best friend dancing with the guy, enjoying herself. She said something to the man and he laughed. Gracie joined him at the bar.

"It's good to see her happy," she said.

His brow furrowed at her words.

"She's happy more often than not," he said.

Gracie sighed.

"There's so much about your own best friend you don't know."

Matt turned to look at her.

"I've known her most of my life," he said, "I think I know a lot about her."

"Have you even talked to her lately," she said, "Or have you been spending all your time with Elizabeth?"

Matt took his drink from the bartender.

"I've tried to talk with her," he said, "She puts me off."

"She's been struggling with her feelings since you got back from Tahiti."

He looked at his drink.

"How much do you know about that?"

"Enough."

"I didn't want it to end," he said, quietly after a moment, "She did."

Gracie shrugged.

"I think she was scared she would lose you as a friend if things didn't work out between you."

"I tried to convince her otherwise," Matt said.

Gracie folded her arms.

"By spending every waking moment with your ex-fiancée," she said.

Matt sighed.

"That's complicated," he said.

"You don't love her," Gracie said, "Why don't you just be honest with her about that?"

"I don't want to hurt Elizabeth," he said.

"She's going to be hurt Matt," Gracie said, exasperated, "That's what happens to a woman when the man she loves doesn't return her feelings. If you want to know more about that, ask C.J."

Matt blinked.

"She never told me anything like that."

"She thinks you're in love with Elizabeth and trying to get your wedding on track," Gracie said, "and you've done nothing in the past few days to convince her otherwise."

Matt looked thoughtful.

"No I haven't."

The music stopped and C.J. walked up to them with her new friend.

"This is Brian," she said, "He's from the Mayor's office. Brian, this is Matt Houston a private investigator and Gracie who's visiting from the Bay Area."

The two men greeted each other warily while Gracie smiled widely.

"Nice to meet you Brian," she said, "You come here often."

"Actually no," he said, "I had a meeting in Venice and decided to relax with a beer before heading back home," he said.

"He's a great dancer," C.J. said, grabbing his arm.

"No, you're incredible," he said, "I'll buy you a drink."

She smiled.

"Sure."

Matt watched them order their drinks.

"Maybe you'd better get Elizabeth her wine spritzer before she sends a search party," Grace reminded him.

He looked distracted but then turned to look at her.

"Yeah," he said, going back to Elizabeth's table.

* * *

C.J. spoke with Brian and found herself liking him. They sat with their drinks and talked about living and working in L.A. He told her stories about his job working on the mayor's staff and she shared stories about some of the cases that she and Matt had worked on during the past several years. He was telling her about a party he had attended at the convention center the other night when she happened to see a woman coming into the bar. Her eyes widened as she recognized her from the night that Matt had been shot at the restaurant. The woman looked around the bar as if looking for someone and then sat in a booth not far from where Matt sat with Elizabeth. She ordered a drink from a waiter.

C.J. touched Brian on the arm.

"Excuse me," she said, "I'll be right back."

He nodded and smiled.

"I'll be waiting."

She walked slowly to Gracie who sat at the bar talking to a tall guy.

"So how is he," Gracie asked, "Are you taking him home?"

C.J. rolled her eyes.

"He seems like a great guy but we've got a job to do," she said, "and I see the woman who was with the guy who shot Houston on the night it happened."

Gracie blanched.

"You're kidding right?"

"No I'm not," C.J. said, "She's right near Houston and Elizabeth and she must be waiting for Jenkins."

"You'd better tell Matt," Gracie said.

"He seems to be busy," C.J. said.

"I'm sure Elizabeth will understand that sometimes work comes first," Gracie reasoned.

"No she won't," C.J. said, "That's her biggest complaint about the relationship."

"Matt's never going to be happy with a woman who doesn't support his career."

"He seems perfectly happy to me," C.J. said.

Gracie looked at the woman and saw a man moving towards her. She pointed him out to C.J.

"Is that him?"

C.J. looked at him carefully and then nodded.

"It's definitely him," she said.

They both walked over to Matt and Elizabeth who looked up at them.

"Did you see him," Matt asked.

C.J. nodded.

"He's with that woman from the other night at the restaurant."

Matt looked over and saw them sitting at the table deep in conversation.

"We'd better approach them slowly," he said, "C.J. maybe you'd better step back."

She gave him that look.

"I will when you will," she said, "What if he shoots you again?"

"That's not going to happen," he said.

"Nothing's going to happen if we sit here hashing this out all night," she said.

He saw that she had made her mind up and knew arguing was a futile gesture at this point.

"Okay, let's move together," he said.

They tried to move through the packed crowd pushing people aside so that they could pass through.

"Were drinks half off tonight," Matt asked.

"Maybe it's wet tee-shirt night," C.J. said.

They neared the table cautiously step by step. Matt kept his hand on his firearm but he hoped he wouldn't need it. Shooting up a crowded place like this was never a great idea. Before they reached the table, the man got up and headed towards the bathroom.

"Don't lose him," C.J. said as they tried to follow him through the crowd.

"Watch the woman," Matt said.

"And leave you to face an armed man by yourself," she said, looking at him like he was crazy.

"I'll keep an eye on the woman," Ginger offered.

Matt turned to see Gracie and Elizabeth not far away.

"I can handle myself," Gracie said, "Go follow him."

Gracie had worked as a bouncer before she owned her own club. C.J. knew her friend was tougher than she looked. Matt nodded and he and C.J. tried to continue following the man. He didn't appear to see them as he continued towards where they figured there might be a back exit into the alley. They followed just behind him.

"What do you think the woman gave him," C.J. asked.

"I don't know C.J.," he said, "but that's a good question."

"He's heading to that door over there," she said.

Matt looked ahead and saw him opening the heavy door and holding it, while looking both directions. He closed it behind him.

"We can't lose him," Matt said as they ran the remaining distance to the door and opened it. By the time they did, they saw him at the end of the alley.

"C.J. call the police," Matt said, as he drew out his gun and ran towards the man.

She nodded and ran to the other side of the building to use the payphone. Matt ran after the man who was standing at a streetlight to cross. When he saw Matt running towards him, he decided not to wait and sprinted out into traffic. Matt followed him, narrowly dodging cars who were forced to stop until they had crossed the street. The man had opened up more of a lead and took off down the street, with Matt in hot pursuit. Matt picked up his pace ignoring the stitch in his side from where he had been shot. He ignored the discomfort and kept after the man, who decided to head down another alley.

Matt followed him hoping that the alley led to a dead end but knowing if that were the case, he might need his gun. Sure enough, a short wall kept the alley short and the man made a flying leap onto the wall. Matt ran faster, hoping to grab his legs before he sprung over and started running again. But he just fell short, missing the legs and landing on the ground. He hoisted his body up again and reached for the wall to leap onto and over it. By the time he managed to do that, the man had started running through the alley and out onto the main street again.

Matt took after him, feeling his lungs burning and his legs aching from the exertion. The man began to slow a bit and looked behind him to see how close his pursuer was. Then Matt heard the distant whines of police sirens become louder and the squeal of brakes as several police cars stopped trying to block the man. He tried to dodge the cars and finally tried to leap over one of them. Matt leaped onto the car too and grabbed the man by the legs. They struggled until they rolled off the car and the man broke free and started running again.

The police officers jumped out of their cars to apprehend the man but he managed to elude their grasp. They pulled out their guns but he turned a corner and was gone. They started to pursue them and Matt joined in but the man had disappeared.

Matt sighed and ran his hand through his hair as he put his gun away. A police officer looked at him.

"Friend of yours," he asked.

"Not really," he said, "Is Lt. Hoyt on his way?"

The officer nodded.

"He wasn't happy when we told him you were here."

Matt grimaced.

"I'm not happy the guy got away."

"Houston…"

He looked up and saw C.J. approach. She looked around at the scene.

"I can see the cavalry arrived," she said, "Are you okay?"

"I'm just fine C.J. but Jenkins got away."

"Gracie and Elizabeth are back in front of the bar," she said, "I think the police are breaking up a fight there right now."

"Please don't tell me either woman had anything to do with it," he said.

She chuckled.

"No, it was some guy at the bar who tried to pick up a woman by showing off his prowess with peanuts and he charmed the wrong girl."

"Oh."

"So Jenkins got away."

Matt nodded.

"We still don't know what he's up to," he said, "What happened to the woman?"

"She was the wrong woman," C.J. said, "Frankly I think she set up the whole brawl as a diversion."

"You're probably right," he said, "I'm going back to the office to see if I can dig up anything on Baby."

C.J. frowned.

"What about Elizabeth?"

Matt looked towards the bar.

"I guess I'd better take her home first," he said, "I don't think either one of us is up for dinner now."

"She must be really upset," C.J. said.

"She seemed okay," he said, "What about you and what's his name?"

Her face brightened.

"Oh Brian," she said, "He's a great guy. I'm going to go talk to him before we leave."

Matt's brows rose.

"You interested in him?"

She narrowed her eyes.

"Would it bother you if I were?"

He looked at her, for a moment.

"C.J. you barely know the guy," she said.

She put her hands on her hips.

"I'm going to thank him for a good time," she said, "I'm not in the market for a boyfriend right now. Life is complicated enough."

He rubbed his chin.

"Yeah about that," he said, "I think we need to have a talk."

She looked back at him blankly.

"About what," she said, "Everything's going just fine."

He put his hands in his jacket pockets.

"I feel like there's something between us and I want to make sure there isn't," he said.

"Like what," she said, smiling, "Like I said, everything's just fine."

"I miss you," Matt said, "It seems we haven't seen each other much lately."

She didn't meet his eyes.

"That's because you've been busy fixing your relationship with Elizabeth," she said, "and I've been busy too."

He started to say something else to her but then Elizabeth walked up to him.

"Matt, I just got off the phone with Ginger at the hotel and told her I'd be home soon," she said.

Matt turned towards C.J. who started to walk away.

"Are you going to the gala tomorrow?"

She stopped and looked at him.

"I'm going with Gracie," she said, "I'll see you there."

He watched her as she walked away, while deep in thought and Elizabeth watched him.


	8. Chapter 8

Here's the latest installment of this older FF. I hope you like it and thanks for the comments and feedback. Sorry it's taken so long to update the FF stories but October turned out to be a very busy month!

* * *

C.J. poured them both some hot tea which they took to the living room and drank while they parked on the sofa.

"What an exciting night," Gracie said, "Do you always live like this?"

C.J. chuckled.

"Hardly," she said, "But it's been quite busy in the past few days."

"And then some," Gracie said, "But enough about work, what do you think about Brian?"

C.J. smiled.

"He's very nice and good looking and I had a good time with him," she said, "A couple of months ago, I would go for a guy like him."

"But…"

C.J. hesitated.

"I don't feel anything beyond that," she said, "He's nice enough and fun to spend time with…"

"But he's not who you want," Gracie finished.

"He just broke up with a legislative aide of a city councilman so I don't think he's looking for anything serious."

Gracie gave her a piercing look.

"Are you?"

C.J. paused to think about it.

"I think so," she said, "I love my life, my work, but I want someone to share it with and I want a family."

"Like you wanted to be pregnant," Gracie noted.

C.J. looked at her dismayed.

"Why would you say that," she said, "I'm just not ready to have a family now but I do want one later. I've got so much on my plate already I want to do first and I don't want to be alone when that happens."

"You've got Matt."

C.J. softened.

"Well yeah, as a friend," she said, "a very good friend."

"But you want more."

"Maybe," C.J. said, "but it's not just what I want."

"But what if it's what he wants," Gracie asked, "because it sounded to me like you sent him packing."

C.J. turned sharply to look at her friend.

"We both agreed it would be for the best," she said, "We didn't want to risk our friendship."

"But he didn't agree," Gracie said.

C.J. looked at her puzzled.

"Have you been talking to him?"

Gracie sighed.

"A little bit," she said, "Not a lot but enough to know that you slammed the door on any relationship not him."

"It was clearly for the best given that his former fiancée came back on the scene," C.J. said, "and as we've both seen, they are making up for lost time."

"I don't think so," Gracie said, "I think he's doing the right thing but it's taking him forever to get there but he's a guy."

"I think he's going to marry Elizabeth," C.J. said, picking up her cup and returning to the kitchen putting an end to that conversation.

* * *

Elizabeth looked at the dresses spread across her bed.

"I don't know which one looks best," she said, "any ideas?"

Ginger paused for a moment, taking in each one.

"That black number looks really nice," she said.

Elizabeth frowned.

"Do you think the frills are a bit much," she said, picking up the edges of the dress.

Her friend shook her head.

"It's perfect and Matt will just love it."

"I don't know about Matt," Elizabeth said, "I keep having the feeling he's pushing me away."

Ginger rubbed her arm.

"I don't think it's him," she said, "I think it's his life intruding on your quiet moments together."

Elizabeth nodded.

"Every time we get together, something happens," she said, "usually having to do with C.J."

"They're close friends," Ginger reasoned, "and they've gotten closer."

Elizabeth frowned at that and Ginger hated seeing her like that and knowing her words contributed to it but her friend had to face some facts. And that was that in all likelihood, Matt had moved on with his life and would keep doing so unless Elizabeth put it all on the line. And even then, she could still lose him.

"I know that," she said, "But Matt and I made it to the altar once…"

Ginger sighed.

"And look what happened," she said, "You broke it off with him and went to party in Mexico with me and he went on his honeymoon with someone else."

"Whatever happened between them is over, Ginger," Elizabeth said, folding her arms and pacing the room.

"Did he say that or did she," Ginger said, sighing, "Because there's a big difference between the two."

Elizabeth looked down at her hands, which gripped her dress.

"Well…he did say they were still seeing each other," she said.

Ginger shook her head.

"That's not really an answer Elizabeth," she said, "and you have to get one from him soon or if he does something to break your heart, it's just going to hurt you more."

Elizabeth sat on the bed.

"How am I going to do that," she said, "He's been so busy getting into scrapes as part of this career of his. We haven't had any time to really talk things out before the next interruption happens."

Ginger looked at her friend.

"You're going to have to confront him and put everything on the line if you want to get things back on track with him," she said, "but time has passed and he might have other things on his mind."

Elizabeth put her head in her hands.

"I really love him Ginger," she said, "I can't believe I was so stupid to call off the wedding."

Ginger didn't agree. If the chaos before the ceremony was any indication of how any marriage between her friend and Matt was going to go, she wasn't sure it would be a happy union between two such different people. But despite her own reservations, she had to support her friend…but not without a little more sage advice first.

"Maybe that was the right thing to do," she said slowly, "Honey, the wedding was a nightmare. Matt's a great guy, sexy as they come but he brings unpredictability and even chaos and violence out of his own world and to those around him."

"But…"

"Even his best friend and latest bed partner, C.J. has seen that violence," Ginger said, "She's been shot several times from what I've heard."

"That's because she works for him," Elizabeth pointed out, "He would never let that happen to me."

"How can he stop it," Ginger said, "He couldn't even stop it at his own wedding."

"That was C.J.'s ex-boyfriend who ruined things," Elizabeth protested.

"But Matt helped her put him away behind bars," Ginger added, "Until he was furloughed and set loose again. He was out for revenge against both of them."

Elizabeth couldn't argue with that. But it didn't change the way she felt. Now that she knew what she wanted, she was set to go after it.

"Matt is worth everything Ginger," she said, "I just know I want to marry him and live happily ever after and that can still happen."

Ginger studied her friend knowing how serious her intentions were and slowly nodded her head.

"Okay, well this gala tomorrow is a great place to set that course in motion," she said, "but we're going to have to think about strategy."

* * *

Matt looked into his brandy glass. He sat at the sofa at his penthouse suite looking up information on Baby but anything useful he could find on the gunman continued to elude him. Neither Jason nor Hoyt had contacted him with any more information. He sighed and looked back at the screen again. This Clyde Jenkins or whoever he really was just came up with nothing, totally clean. But people who were absent from the major criminal databases usually proved to be more professional and often more ruthless criminal who had the intelligence and resources to remain below the radar while engaging in mayhem and murder.

Roy walked in the room, bringing his drink. Matt looked at his uncle.

"What are you still doing here?"

Roy sat down and looked at him.

"I've just about finished up that workload on those outstanding invoices that Chris started and am relaxing with a drink before I head home."

"I've been busy myself," Matt said, "Baby can't dig up anything on this guy and that's unusual."

Roy nodded.

"That's because he's hiding in the shadows," he said, sipping from his glass, "He could be a covert operative."

Matt frowned.

"I'm not so sure," he said, "He might be skillful enough to keep out of the major international crime databases but he's been pretty clumsy when we've encountered him."

"He's shot two people," Roy said, "and only one of them wasn't on his list of things to do while in L.A."

"Yeah," Matt said, "And we still don't know why he shot that guy in the alley or what's next on his agenda."

"C.J. wasn't able to give much to the cops?"

He shook his head.

"She said it happened so fast," he said, "and she became a target. She could have been killed."

Matt saw his uncle hide a smile.

"What's so funny," he asked.

"Oh no, nothing," Roy said, "Except she often has said the same thing about you many a time."

"That's different," Matt said.

That caught Roy's attention and he turned to face his nephew.

"How is it different," he said, "Is it because she's a woman or is it because of how that makes you feel?"

Matt looked at his uncle, surprised but Roy simply raised his glass to his lips again.

"This brandy's very good," he said, "Better than the usual brand."

"It was a gift from a client," Matt said, "Why do you say that?"

Roy put his glass down.

"Matlock, I am not as the younger generation calls it clueless about what has been going on between the two of you since you returned from Tahiti."

Matt narrowed his eyes.

"How much have you figured out?"

"Enough."

Matt picked up his own drink and looked at it.

"Things changed between us there," he said, "but we've come to an understanding that it's not going anywhere."

"I see," Roy said.

Matt wondered if he did because he was having his own problems in that area.

"What do you see?"

Roy shook his head.

"Oh nothing," he said, "Except that C.J.'s always had a soft spot for you. In fact, before your wedding she admitted as much to me."

"She did?"

Roy watched his nephew carefully.

"She's like many women who guard their feelings towards someone they really care about," Roy said, "and in this case, it's probably the prudent thing to do."

Matt didn't like the sound of that.

"What do you mean?"

Roy sighed, patiently.

"Matlock, you are a Houston and like the rest of us, you play the field," he said, "but the rest of us, we had our…good times with women and settled down. You haven't done that yet."

"That's what I was trying to do with Elizabeth," Matt said, "but I couldn't get it to work out. My career choice makes it difficult to settle down with any women."

To Matt's surprise, his uncle didn't argue with him.

"To most women perhaps," Roy said, "but C.J. isn't 'most women'."

Matt nodded.

"I do know that," he said, "but she made it clear that what happened in Tahiti was going to stay there."

"Because she lost her father at a young age," Roy said, "And that can affect how a young woman deals with the men in her life especially those who she loves. It's difficult to get too close to them because she's going to worry about them leaving her."

Matt nodded again.

"She told me that too," he said, "when she was involved with Robert last year."

"She's lost men she's loved to her career like you," Roy said, "and she lost Carl to a man who was obsessed with her because of her success."

"Christian Dean," Matt said, rubbing his temple, "He nearly got what he wanted but she killed him."

"So you can see where she might get her cautious attitude from," Roy said, "But it has nothing to do with how she feels about you."

"I know," Matt said, "But Tahiti was when I realized that what I really wanted was in front of me the whole time and once I realized that, it became hard to give that up."

Roy nodded thoughtfully.

"Did you ever tell her that?"

Matt started to react then thought about it. He knew his uncle was just trying to help him in his own way, prodding him with questions to force him to confront himself. His uncle had told him his own stories about some of the women he had loved and lost including to betrayal before he had met Matt's aunt. He wanted better for his nephew and for him to find happiness and a family.

"No I didn't," he said, "She seemed so adamant and I was willing to go along with it."

"I am not going to tell you how to handle your own life," Roy said, "But I consider her family just like you and it's up to the both of you to decide what you want and I suspect it's the same thing."

Matt got up and took his glass back to the bar.

"We're both going to the gala tomorrow," he said.

Roy followed him.

"So is Elizabeth," he said, "and her feelings are important too. She deserves the truth from you whatever that might be."

Matt nodded.

"I'm going to have to think about how to handle that too," he said, "I never wanted to hurt her."

Roy sighed.

"You were looking for a way to prove to yourself that your career wasn't the most important thing," he said, "And Elizabeth filled that bill for you. But she's a woman who loves you and it's not going to be easy for her."

"It's not going to be easy for either of us," Matt said, "but I'll talk to both women after the gala is over."

They both cleaned up the bar and left the office to take the elevator down to the parking garage and Matt thought carefully about what his uncle had said and knew he was right. Now he had to think about how to handle it.

And somewhere in the heart of L.A. a killer waited.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9 ---Here's the latest in this FF story. I hope you enjoy reading it and thanks for the comments!

* * *

Morning hit L.A. and Matt got out of bed early and decided to go running. He often did his best thinking when he hit the strand of sand between the dunes and the surf near where he lived and he hoped today would be no different. After getting dressed, he headed outside and saw that the day had broken with a crystal blue sky, not usual for the city and a gentle breeze wafted off from the ocean. Few people were on the beach including some lifeguards getting ready for another busy day. He looked at his watch before he started, noting that he had a list of things to do before preparing for the charity gala. The events of the past day including the late night conversation he had with his uncle still gnawed at him.

So did his dream, which were filled not with the frizzy red headed Elizabeth but his mahogany haired business partner and best friend. It was her hair that he ran his hands through as he kissed her and her body that molded against his and her scent that filled his head. He crossed the soft dry sand past the dunes until he approached the gently breaking surf associated with low tide. The sea gulls flew in circles overhead and he thought he saw the grey sleek body of a dolphin or two crest the surface of the water. The water was more grey, than the teal color it had been in Tahiti when he and C.J. had danced beneath the moonlight sky riddled with stars, so unlike L.A.

He sighed as he picked up his pace, his feet crunching through the packed sand. A couple surfers headed with their boards, near some large jetties and some fishermen gathered by the pier enjoying the early morning ritual. Matt knew most of them and had heard their best fish stories that they had compiled over the years. In fact, often when he and C.J. had finished a late night assignment, they would pick up some breakfast at the little café and take their food out to the pier's edge. He knew that one of them had been Vince Novelli's ex-partner who owned an exotic bird collection and had an ongoing crush on C.J. while another had been a movie actor back in the 1950s who also did horse wrangling on the side for some of the westerns filmed during that period.

He jogged in that direction and headed up the winding staircase to the pier, feeling his muscles burn on the steps as he pushed his pace. The men didn't look up when he approached, so intent were they on their fishing.

"How's the biting?"

The older one shrugged.

"Not so good," he said, "There must be some rain coming in from offshore."

Matt looked around him and noted some rosy pink cloud puffs on the horizon but otherwise the sky appeared crystal clear.

"Where's your friend," Mac, the one with the crush on his friend asked.

Matt sighed and placing his hands on the railing, leaned against it looking out into the rolling surf.

"She's got a friend in town who's staying with her," he said, "I gave her the week off and they've been seeing the sites around L.A."

Mac snorted.

"Why aren't you going with them," he said, "

Buck, the horse wrangler gave him a look.

"Stop nosing into his personal affairs," he said, "If he wanted to tell us his life story, he'll get around to it."

Buck harrumphed.

"I'm just asking him a question," he said, "I haven't seen her in a while and I miss her, that's all."

"Well Mac," Buck said, reeling his pole in and swing it expertly back into the ocean, "She could have a boyfriend taking up all her time."

"A pretty gal like her would have more than one guy interested in her."

"What do you think Matt," Buck asked, "Or have you been keeping her too busy with work."

"I said I gave her the week off," he responded, "She had been flying around the country a lot lately taking depositions for some court cases."

"At least she has some time off to have some fun for a change," Mac said, shaking his head.

Matt sighed.

"She has plenty of time to have fun," he said, "It's her choice to put in the extra hours."

And that was certainly true. C.J. had always put in her share of work to make Houston Enterprises a great success as well as getting the investigative agency off the ground. She had looked tired when she returned from some of those business trips including the latest one but she hadn't complained.

"That's what they all say," Mac just said, shaking his head, "but when is she supposed to have time to find herself a man and get married and have a family?"

"What are you saying," Matt responded, wondering where Mac was going.

"The moment I first saw her pretty face, I knew she was meant for a family life," Mac said, "If I were younger…"

Buck rolled his eyes.

"She'd never have you," he said.

Mac frowned.

"If you saw pictures of me when I was a young stud with all the ladies around me, you wouldn't say that."

"That hasn't been lately," Buck said, "and what about Lorena?"

Mac smiled fondly.

"Now Lorena, god rest her soul gave me some of the best years of my life but I still have some years left."

Buck just laughed heartedly.

Matt looked back and forth between them, falling behind the discussion.

"She's not like you Matt," Mac said, "You're just like me when I was younger, a rake only because you have a lot of money more like one of those playboys."

Buck shook his head.

"No, he was engaged last year," he said, "Only they broke it off at the last minute."

Mac sighed.

"See, no ability to make a commitment at the altar. When push came to shove, you opted out."

Matt felt irritation fill him.

"Now hold on a minute here," he said, "Elizabeth and I broke it off because of some very complicated issues."

"I'm not saying that you flaked out Matt," Mac said, "I bailed at the altar a time or two myself before Lorena finally roped me."

"You mean you finally had found the right woman."

Mac shook his head.

"I mean she roped me at the altar," he said, "to the nearest pew in the church so I couldn't get away."

Matt suddenly wondered why he was having this conversation with two retired men who spent their days fishing and their nights drinking at the local watering hole running their fishing stories past each other.

"This has been interesting," he said, "But I best be going now. I've got a long day ahead of me."

Neither man looked impressed.

"Say hi to C.J. for us," Mac said, as Matt headed back down the pier.

* * *

"This is delicious," Gracie said, as she spooned the French toast in her mouth, "Where did you find it?"

C.J. smiled.

"Houston and I had a client who waited tables here and wanted us to sting a blackmailer," she said.

"Oh," Gracie said, "That sounds intense."

"Actually, I got to relive some memories of when I worked at a diner when I was in college."

Gracie brightened.

"Oh yeah, that greasy spoon near sorority row," she said, "The other sisters used to tease you about it."

C.J. shrugged.

"It was all in fun," she said, "I didn't mind."

Gracie sipped her juice.

"I remember when Matt got upset when some of the frat boys teased you," she said, "that wasn't all in fun."

C.J. made a face.

"He shouldn't have done that," she said, "I could have handled them myself."

Gracie softened when she saw the expression on her friend's face.

"I know that and I think he did," she said, "but he's always been very protective of the people he cares about and not afraid to show it."

"No he wasn't," C.J. said, thoughtfully, "He still isn't."

She couldn't be hard on him for that, certainly not with plenty of years to have gained more insight into her lifelong friend. But punching out one of them had gotten him suspended from his football team for two games. She had felt bad about that even though he had tried to make it clear that it wasn't her fault.

"Why are you doing this," Gracie said, "Holding him at arm's length?"

C.J. twisted her fork in her eggs.

"Because this is the way it has to be," she said, "He's my best friend and I can't jeopardize that especially since he's trying to work things out with Elizabeth. If they decide to get married again, it's my role to wish them well."

Gracie looked at her.

"You think you're being noble here?"

C.J. narrowed her eyes.

"What are you getting at?"

Gracie kept going.

"Were you so noble when you and he hit the sheets on a honeymoon he had planned to spend with someone else?"

C.J. looked shock.

"How dare you say that," she said, "He had broken up with his fiancée and he asked me to go with him to Tahiti as a friend. I didn't go there to sleep him or seduce him away from anyone. We both were having a great time together and it just happened."

Gracie snorted.

"What, the kiss on the beach or the decision to join him in his bedroom later," she said, "which by your admission, you didn't leave for two days."

C.J.'s face flushed.

"That might be a bit of an exaggeration."

Gracie moved on to rolling her eyes which fired up C.J. even more.

"Okay, maybe not," she said, "But we had our time together and then we woke up the morning we were set to go back to L.A. and we had a decision to make."

"Meaning that you decided and he went along with it," Gracie finished.

"No, that's not what happened," C.J. said, "We both decided we had invested so much into our friendship that we didn't want to risk messing it up if it didn't work out."

Gracie pushed her plate back and folded her arms.

"You didn't even try to decide if there was anything to work out," she said, "and that's not like you, C.J."

"What do you mean?"

"All the time I've known you, you're always the most determined person, the most driven to get what she wanted in life," she said, "That's certainly true professionally at least."

"I've had relationships," C.J. pointed out, "Great relationships with different men."

"I know that," Gracie said, "but there's a great guy in front of you who I think put aside his own feelings because you asked him to."

"Wait a minute…"

"And then when you thought you might be pregnant, what did you do," Gracie continued.

"That's pretty low…"

"Hello there," a woman's voice said, "What a lovely surprise."

Both C.J. and Gracie looked up at the sight of Ginger sashaying towards them until she pulled a seat at the table.

"When Matt's uncle told me about this place, I had no idea you two would be here," Ginger said.

C.J. sighed.

"Where's Elizabeth?"

Ginger smiled and ordered a Bloody Mary from the waitress.

"She's going to pick up some breakfast to bring to Matt's place," she said, "They're going to attend the charity gala together."

"That's nice Ginger," C.J. said, finishing her juice, "but they don't need my permission."

"They have been spending a lot of time together," Ginger said, "That must be difficult…"

C.J. smiled.

"Like I said, Houston doesn't run his social calendar by me before he approves it."

Ginger sipped her drink.

"Well that's certainly a relief," she said, "I'm sure he'll invite you to their wedding but Elizabeth might be picking a different maid of honor this time around."

Gracie threw her a pithy look.

"Now hold on," she said, "Aren't you jumping the gun? They're not even engaged and you have them planning a wedding."

Ginger played with the celery stick in her drink.

"They've got their main issues ironed out," she said, "All that's left are the details."

"So when are the invitations being sent out," Gracie said, sarcastically, "So I know when to expect mine."

Ginger just fluttered her eyelashes at her.

"It will be a smaller ceremony this time," she said, "Just family and friends. You'll both of course be invited."

"Matt's not going to marry her," Gracie said, "not when he's in love with someone else."

"Gracie…"

Her friend turned towards her.

"It's the truth and you know it," she said, "If he was so eager to marry Elizabeth, they would have eloped already. I bet he's not even slept with her since she's come back to town."

Both C.J. and Ginger stared at her.

"What," Gracie said, "My point is that he's been spending this whole time trying to find the right words to let her down gracefully."

Ginger wagged her finger at Gracie.

"How do you know that's not what he's trying to do with C.J.?"

Gracie folded her arms.

"I'd bet my life on it."

Ginger laughed.

"Gracie…dear, there are a few facts of life you're missing here," she said, "Yes he bedded his business partner and good friend but it was on the rebound from the broken engagement."

"And you're missing the fact that he's gotten over that broken engagement," Gracie said, "and has moved on with his life."

C.J. watched the two go at it feeling irritated beyond hell that they were talking around her.

"Look, I'd like to stay and watch you continue this…debate but I've got to go pick up my dress for tonight," she said.

Both women looked at her.

"It's Houston's decision what he wants to do with his life and his personal relationships," C.J. said, "And that's all I have to say about it."

She got up to leave and Gracie started to follow her.

"Look C.J. I'm sorry," she said, following her.

* * *

Matt had done about a dozen wind sprints up the flight of stairs, until he couldn't do another. The physical side of his job made it necessary for him to push the boundaries of his fitness level and usually, he enjoyed that challenge but his mind refused to focus on the exercise today. He rested for a few minutes then headed back to the beach house to eat some breakfast and get ready for a late morning stakeout.

What Mac and Buck had said irked him. He knew that C.J. and himself shared the same goals of getting married some day when they found the right person and having a family so it wasn't that. It was this notion that Matt wasn't serious about his goals because of a couple aborted trips to the altar. The first time, his fiancée had been murdered by a ruthless serial killer and this latest engagement to Elizabeth had happened so quickly, perhaps too quickly as it turned out. He thought back to the days before his wedding several months ago and knew that he had loved her but wasn't all that sure that he had been in love with her or whether it was this idea of settling down with a woman and having a family.

He jogged up off of the beach and to his house, opening the door and going inside. He showered and changed into his surveillance clothes of jeans and a polo shirt and walked into the kitchen to make a quick breakfast. Cracking eggs into a frying pan, he looked for some ingredients to make one of his favorite omelets. Then the doorbell rang, at about the time his omelet was ready to eat. He tossed some bread in the toaster and secured some leftover orange juice. As he went to answer the door, he looked at his watch, thinking he had about an hour before he had to meet up with Uncle Roy for the stakeout.

When he opened the door there, he saw Elizabeth in a long coat. He just stared at her and she smiled.

"May I come in Matt," she said.

He opened the door wider.

"Sure," he said, and she walked into the living room. She took off her coat and for a second, he wondered if that was all she wore but he breathed in relief when he saw that she had a blouse and some slacks underneath.

She frowned at his expression.

"You look surprised to see me," she said.

"Actually I am," he said, "I've got a stakeout in an hour and I'm just eating some breakfast."

She nodded and sat down on the couch.

"Don't let me stop you," she said, "I couldn't sleep last night Matt."

He couldn't either but he didn't want to get into that with her. Not when his dreams were filled by someone else.

"I'm sorry about that Elizabeth," he said simply.

She clasped her hands.

"You see Matt," she said, "All I can think of since I've been back to L.A. is being with you."

"Elizabeth…"

She put her hand up.

"I really messed up the wedding, all our plans," she said, "I was just so afraid I'd lose you if something happened to you because of your work."

"Something could happen Elizabeth," he said, "My work can be very dangerous at times."

She nodded.

"But I still love you and I want to be with you anyway."

Matt looked into her eyes and knew she meant it.

"I really wanted that too," he began, "but I really am beginning to think our time has passed."

She looked at him startled.

"You don't mean that," she said, "If we just try again, try harder this time to make it work…"

He closed his eyes.

"We just aren't right for each other," he said, "I should have told you that from the beginning."

Her eyes displayed confusion.

"But…all that time…"

"I know I never said anything and I should have," he said, "Something always interrupted us."

She shook her head.

"Not something," she said, "But someone."

"C.J. has nothing to do with this," Matt said.

Her eyes narrowed.

"But you knew I was talking about her," she said, "didn't you."

"You told me that it would never work between us and I didn't want to believe that," he said, "but you were right."

"No I wasn't," she said, "I can change…"

"But I don't want you too," he said, "Just for me."

"It would be for us," she said.

He shook his head.

"There isn't any us," he said, "I care for you a great deal but I'm not in love with you."'

She stared at him for a long moment and his heart panged at the anguish in her eyes. But then she looked at him and nodded.

"I guess I knew that and didn't want to face it," she said, finally, "I guess I'll be going now."

He grabbed her arm but she shook it off.

"I guess I'll see you at the gala tonight," she said, leaving him, "I still plan on going and having a great time."

He nodded.

"I know you will."

He watched her walk to her car and then closed the door.

* * *

C.J. sat in her car and waited for Gracie to catch up. She was so irritated at her friend that she almost drove off without her but her anger abated as she realized soon enough that her friend cared about her. Soon enough, the car door opened and Gracie slid into the seat beside her.

"Still mad at me?"

C.J. smiled despite herself and shook her head.

"I'm sorry for everything I said," Gracie started, "Well not everything. I still think you need to tell Matt the truth about why you chickened out on him."

C.J. rubbed her eyes.

"I didn't do that," she said, "I meant what I said and he and I might not want the same thing anyway."

"You don't know unless you ask," Gracie ventured.

C.J. started the car.

"I don't want to rehash this right now," she said, "but your pregnancy comment hurt my feelings. I never would have taken it lightly."

Gracie smiled.

"I'm sorry about what I said and I know that," she said, "It just came out."

"It didn't happen," C.J. said, "and that was for the best."

"Are you going to tell him?"

C.J. paused.

"I'll have to think about that," she said, "There's not much to say about it at this point."

She drove the car out of the parking lot of the restaurant and decided to change the subject.

"So why don't we go pick up our outfits for tonight," she said.

"I'm game," she said, "I still have to pick mine out. This sounds like it's going to be the party of the…weekend at least."

* * *

Roy and Matt sat in a car. Matt holding binoculars and Roy eating a couple of bran muffins. When he handed one to his nephew, he had begged off.

"Something on your mind," he asked.

"Yeah, whether or not this con artist is going to make an appearance," he said.

"It's the end of the week," Roy said, "Of course he'll show."

Both of them kept their eyes peeled on the office building across the street. Roy knew his nephew had something on his mind but didn't push it.

"I broke it off with Elizabeth," Matt said, finally.

Roy looked at him but said nothing.

"You were right," Matt continued, "It wasn't fair to let her keep thinking we had a future together."

His uncle nodded.

"You did the right thing," he said, "Even if it doesn't feel that way right now."

Matt picked up the binoculars again.

"I'm fine with it. It's better to be honest in a relationship," he said, "I really didn't want to hurt her."

"I think deep inside she knows that," Roy said, "It'll take some time for her to move on."

"She's not the only woman I have to be more honest with," Matt said, "I still have to talk to C.J."

Roy kept an eye on the building.

"She's going to the gala tonight," he said.

"Uncle Roy, the whole town's going," Matt said, "I think I'll wait until tomorrow."

"Matlock, never put off until tomorrow what you can do today," Roy said, "She has every much as right as Elizabeth to know where things stand between the two of you."

Matt thought about that and then nodded. Suddenly, he saw a flash of movement out of the corner of his eyes. He looked through the binoculars again and saw the con man standing in front of the store. Then his eyes widened as he saw another familiar figure.

"That's the guy who shot me," he said.

Roy looked closer.

"Are you sure," he said,

"I'm positive," Matt said, opening the door, "It's time to find out what he's doing in L.A."

Roy looked at him.

"Be careful," he said, "I'll call Hoyt for backup."

Matt nodded and then he took off across the street.

* * *

Elizabeth returned to her hotel room and Ginger knew immediately her friend had cried all the way back from Matt's beach house. She just looked at Ginger and sank on the bed.

"What on earth happened," Ginger asked anyway.

Elizabeth looked at her with reddened eyes.

"He dumped me."

Ginger reared up in shock.

"What," she said, "Really?"

Elizabeth nodded and then reached for a tissue and Ginger gave her the box.

"What happened," Ginger said, "I thought you were having breakfast with him."

Elizabeth fidgeted with her tissue.

"That's what I thought too," she said, "But he just told me that he cared about me but wasn't in love with me."

Ginger started pacing.

"What in the hell is going on here," she said, "I ran into C.J. and that unpleasant friend of hers at breakfast and overheard them talking about Matt."

Elizabeth looked confused as she blew her nose.

"So what," she said, "They're friends after all."

Ginger sat down beside her.

"I think when she and Matt hooked up in Tahiti, she came home with more than a souvenir."

"What do you mean?"

Ginger sighed, thinking how badly she needed a drink now.

"I mean she got pregnant."

Elizabeth's jaw just dropped.

"She can't be," she said.

"Elizabeth dear," she said, "Did you flunk biology? Of course she could be and that's probably why she's trying to hold onto him."

Elizabeth shook her head.

"I don't think that she's been doing that," she said, "and Matt never mentioned anything about her being pregnant to me."

"Maybe she hasn't told him," Ginger deduced, "Maybe she just found out."

"Maybe there's nothing to tell."

"If she hasn't told him, she will soon," Ginger said, "and you know Matt, he'll want to do the right thing."

Elizabeth blew her nose again.

"What does that have to do with me," she said, "He dumped me."

"Temporary insanity I'm sure," Ginger said, "He'll come to his senses."

"It's over Ginger," Elizabeth said, "He made that clear."

"You're still going to the gala tonight aren't you?"

"Well yeah," Elizabeth said, "We're both going…just not together."

Ginger drummed her fingers on the bed.

"Then you'll have to make sure you give him reason to have second thoughts about his decision," Ginger said.

"Ginger…"

"There's no harm on trying to convince him of the error of his ways," Ginger said, "All's fair in love and war they say."

Elizabeth gave that adage some thought and then nodded her head.

"You're right," she said, "What do you suggest?"

Ginger smiled and outlined her plan.


	10. Chapter 10

Here's the latest chapter of this FF story. I hope you enjoy it and thanks for the comments. I'm trying to upload more chapters but FF is glitchy this weekend.

* * *

C.J. looked at her dress and agreed it was lovely, when Gracie raved about it. She hadn't wanted to go too fancy for the gala but had wanted to keep it simple. Gracie had found a nice blue number in the same shop and had plunked down some plastic, telling herself that she owed herself for having to deal with the drama of the past few days.

They walked down the tree lined street and stopped at a café for some late morning coffee.

"So is it always like this in L.A.," Gracie asked.

"What do you mean?"

"Parties every night and beautiful sun during the day," Gracie said, "When you're not chasing after bad guys."

C.J. gave her a funny look.

"The police catch the bad guys," she said, "We just help people who need it."

Gracie snorted.

"And get shot at in the process," she said, "Most lawyers don't have what, three bullet wounds?"

"That doesn't always happen," C.J. countered, "but they did all hurt."

"I imagine," Gracie said, "I thought operating a night club was dangerous but what you do has me beat."

C.J. frowned.

"It's not always like that," she said, "There's a lot of sitting around in cars waiting for something to happen or doing research. It's not always car chases and shootings."

Gracie stopped walking and looked at her.

"Now this is really a gala we're attending tonight," she said, "It's not some covert assignment, passing itself off as a party."

"As far as I know it's exactly what the invitation said it was," C.J. said, "A lot of old and new money trying to mix, expensive catering and top notch entertainment. But it all benefits a great charity."

Gracie nodded.

"Now that I can do."

"I don't know Gracie," C.J. said, "You go to enough of these parties and they all start seeming alike."

Gracie chuckled.

"You poor girl," she said, "I should have that problem."

"I thought you went to a lot of parties," C.J. said.

"I go to my share," Gracie said, "but I'm not exactly on the A list or even the B or C list."

"Houston and I wind up ranking higher on the charity function list," C.J. said, "but it's usually for a good cause."

"Is the Winslow mansion everything I've heard it is," Gracie asked.

C.J. tilted her head.

"It's pretty impressive," she said, "Maybe they'll give the guests tours."

"Any good looking single men going to show up," Gracie said, "They don't have to be rich. I'm not picky."

C.J. shrugged.

"There's always a few," she said, "But you'll need a scorecard to keep them straight. It can get really tricky."

"Gotcha."

They reached the coffee stand and bought some designer mojo, which was really beginning to take off in L.A.

"So Matt's really taking Elizabeth to this shindig?"

C.J. sipped her coffee.

"Why not," she said, "They've been spending a lot of time together."

"Is Ginger going?"

"I imagine so," C.J. said, "though I plan to stay away from her. I don't want to wind up written in a society column for getting into it with her."

"She's just trying to get your goat," Gracie said, "which tells me that things can't be going that great with Matt and Elizabeth and she knows it."

"She does seem a little too invested in their relationship," C.J. noted, "but Matt's made his decision without her help and she'll have to accept it just like I will."

Gracie shook her head.

"Why do you keep saying that," she said, "I still think he's trying to let her down easily."

"Well I don't," C.J. countered, "and I'm happy for them, really."

* * *

Matt continued quietly up to where the con man was standing talking to Clyde Jenkins or whatever his real name really was in front of the building. He reached for where he had his gun but didn't draw it yet as he closed in. Clyde held something out to the con man who took it and put it in his pocket without looking at it. Matt's eyes narrowed as he watched the two men start talking again. He hid behind a parked car and then drew out his gun. Then the sirens sounded in the background and Matt knew that was his backup arriving. Only he hadn't yet approached Clyde or the other men. Both of them looked up and then split into opposite directions. As they did, Matt made his choice quickly and took off sprinting after Clyde who was no slouch himself in the athletic department. They sped one in pursuit of the other down the street but Matt found that he couldn't gain any ground on Clyde who turned and ran into a department store. Matt ran after him and looked up to see Clyde running up the escalator pushing through the line of people riding on it. Matt followed and tried to pursue him, and took the stairs which ran next to the escalator. He reached the next floor and nearly ran over two old ladies, apologizing quickly as he tried to keep Clyde in his sights.

He saw Clyde heading towards the dressing room and disappear but soon after a litany of screams and at least one smacking sound could be heard from the enclosed area and then Clyde slipped out and began running back towards the escalator and after gazing at it, started running down the staircase. Matt followed him and got close to him before taking a flying leap off the stairs when Clyde had reached the bottom. His body hit Clyde with a thud and the two men went down on the floor while customers scattered away. Matt tried to pin him down but Clyde proved to be too quick, pushing Matt off and trying to get on his feet. Matt grabbed his leg and pulled him down again. At that moment, two police officers ran in the dressing room through the cosmetics section and saw the two men on the ground fighting.

The two officers drew their guns.

"Stop right now," one of them said, "and show your hands or we'll shoot."

Matt looked up at the officers with his hands raised but Clyde just took off and started running. The officers took off in pursuit and Matt sprang up and followed them. Clyde ran out the glass doors and back into the street into the traffic.

"We lost him," the officer said, trying to see where he had gone.

Matt reached them and ran his hand through his hair trying to figure out where Clyde had run off to, eluding capture once again. He had bumbled his way through the department store and still got away. Hoyt walked up to him.

"What are you doing in the middle of this," he said, "You know this guy's already taken one shot at you."

Matt looked out where he had last seen Clyde.

"He's gotten away Hoyt," he said, "and we still know next to nothing about him."

"He's in town for a reason."

"Uncle Roy and I were here doing a stakeout on the other guy," Matt said, "What happened to him?"

Hoyt waved a hand.

"Two officers found him cowering behind a dumpster," he said, "He's just a local dealer in stolen goods and information not necessarily in that order."

Matt knew he dealt in stolen jewelry. A client of theirs had an impressive broach collection lifted during a party.

"What kind of information?"

"Any kind," Hoyt said, "Except he's not talking either except to demand a lawyer."

"You are going to question him…"

"Of course," Hoyt said, exasperation in his voice, "I'm after all a trained cop and maybe that's who you should leave this with."

"It doesn't look like the trained cops have been able to catch him either."

Hoyt frowned.

"It's only a matter of time," he said, "And don't you have a gala to attend tonight?"

"I've got a full day's worth of work to finish first," Matt said, walking back to find Roy.

"Matt, we're going to find this guy."

"I'll believe that Hoyt when I see it."

Matt saw Roy talking to an officer and his uncle walked over to him.

"That was quite some chasing," Roy said.

Matt and his uncle got back in the car.

"He got away," he said, "Just slipped through everyone's fingers once again."

Roy hardly looked surprised.

"He's clearly had some experience."

Matt backed the car out of the space.

"Still taking Elizabeth to the gala," Roy said.

"I think she's going with Ginger," Matt said.

"What about C.J.?"

"She's going with Gracie."

"So you're going…stag?"

Matt grimaced then saw the amusement on his uncle's face.

"Anything wrong with that?"

His uncle shook his head.

"No, no," Roy said, "I'd join you in that great tradition but I have a date."

Matt glanced up in surprise from the road.

"You have a date," he said, "Do I know her?"

"I met her at the Palm Springs Wine Festival," Roy said, "She's in L.A. for the weekend and we thought we'd get together."

"Sounds serious."

Roy chuckled.

"She's a nice lady," he said, "and very funny."

Matt nodded.

"That's good," he said, "If she makes you happy…"

"What about you," Roy said, "I'm sure there will be some lovely women at this event."

"I'm just going because it's for a good cause," Matt said, "Not to hook up with anyone."

Roy nodded.

"I understand," he said, "You're still getting over this morning with your ex-fiancée."

"No, it's something C.J. told me."

"What was that," Roy asked.

"That I had to give myself the chance and the time to get past breaking off my engagement to Elizabeth," he said, "Now I know what she meant."

"Sounds like good advice."

"I think I wanted to prove to myself that I was ready to take that step," Matt said.

"You will be when the time's right," Roy said, "I was young like you once and there's nothing wrong with sowing your wild oats. You'll know when it's time to settle down, when the right woman comes around."

"It's not that easy," Matt said.

"No it's not Matlock," Roy said, "It wasn't for me and your Aunt Flo but I know that despite everything we went through and everything I put her through, I made the right decision at the right time."

Matt turned down the street which led to his office building and drove into the parking garage. The two men rode the elevator to the top and when the door opened, they stepped out and saw C.J. talking to Chris.

"What are you doing here," Matt asked.

C.J. looked up at him.

"Just checking my messages," she said, "Gracie's out getting some shoes for tonight."

"You feeling better?"

She nodded.

"Yeah, it's been a nice couple of days to take off and relax a bit. I really had been working hard and needed the time away."

"When you weren't running into Clyde Jenkins," he said.

She narrowed her eyes.

"What about you," she said, "He shot you and you're still chasing him. In fact, Hoyt just called and mentioned that you ran into him today on the stakeout?"

Roy and Matt looked at each other.

"We were both surprised to see him show up," Matt said.

"Hoyt also said that the con man you were after made bail," she said, "and is back on the streets again but that Clyde got away."

Matt went to pour himself some Scotch.

"The con man's only a two-bit dealer in stolen goods," he said, "We just don't know why he wound up hooking up with Clyde."

C.J. folded her arms.

"Are you okay?"

"I'm fine C.J.," Matt said, "but he got away again."

She sighed.

"If he had hurt you again…"

"C.J…"

She wagged her finger at him.

"Don't say anything about how any concern about you is unwarranted like you always do," she said.

Matt looked taken aback.

"Is that what you think I'm doing?"

She shrugged.

"Isn't it?"

Matt almost said something then decided to think about it carefully instead. Whenever she had admitted that she worried about him, he always made light of it. But that was just because he didn't want her to worry about him.

"That's not my intention," he said, "Besides what about you? When you get into trouble or get shot, you're always telling me not to worry or feeling bad because you made me worry."

She looked down at her hands. He had her there. After all when she had regained consciousness after undergoing surgery to remove the bullet fired by members of a local drug cartel, the first thought that had come to her was that she had worried her best friend.

"That's different."

"How so?"

She sighed.

"Because it always is when you're the person doing the worrying," she said, "Despite my differences of opinion with Elizabeth, I did understand where she was coming from there."

He looked at her surprised.

"You never said anything."

She looked away.

"Would it matter if I did?"

He didn't answer and she nodded.

"That's what I thought," she said, walking away towards her office.

He grabbed her arm and she turned to look at him, irritation and a couple of other emotions in her eyes.

"What's going on here," he asked.

She pulled away and just looked at him for a moment.

"Nothing."

* * *

She stepped into her office, to see a pile of messages that Chris had left on her desk. She sorted through them to find the most pressing ones. As she did that, she heard a knock on the door. She looked up and saw Roy standing there holding two cups of tea. She took one thankfully.

"What is it," she asked.

"Chris finished all the invoices on the cases that were closed out this year," Roy said, "She's leaving early because her boyfriend's back from his business trip."

C.J. nodded.

"That's great," she said, "It will make it easier to do taxes especially if he use Murray's referral."

"True," Roy said, "and it will take some of the workload off of you."

She shrugged.

"It doesn't bother me," she said, "It keeps me busy."

"My nephew can be difficult sometimes," Roy said, "especially when he's being obtuse like now."

She looked up at him from her desk.

"It's not anything he did," she said, "It's me."

He sat down in the chair and waited for her to continue which she did after sipping the tea.

"This is really good tea," she said, "What's in it?"

"Oh some herbs, spices all blended together. I picked it up when I went to Palm Desert with a lady friend," he said, "You think there's something wrong with you?"

She shook her head.

"No, it's just complicated and something I have to sort through myself."

He nodded.

"If Matlock has done something, don't let him off the hook."

She frowned.

"It's not like that," she said, "Thanks for the tea."

"You want me to mind my own business…"

She looked dismayed.

"I'm sorry," she said, "It's that I have to stop thinking about what I should have done."

He nodded again.

"After you got back from your vacation," he finished.

Her face flushed a little but he pretended not to notice.

"I was young once too," he said, "though it was a while ago."

She started fidgeting so she picked up her cup.

"But I was right," she said, "As soon as we got back, Elizabeth came back too."

Roy furrowed his brow.

"My nephew said you were right too but not about that."

She tilted her head.

"What do you mean?"

"He said that advice you gave him about working through his broken engagement was good advice."

"I can see that," she said, "They're back together as if nothing happened."

Roy looked at her closely.

"Are you sure about that," he said.

She smiled.

"Gracie's asked me the same thing," she said, "I think the signs are all there that they've worked things out."

"Things aren't always what they seem," Roy said, "You know that."

"Yes I do," she said, "but I do know he loves her."

"Perhaps," Roy said, "But love's a complicated thing and there's a difference between loving a person and being in love."

C.J. knew that already all too well.

"I'm sure they'll figure out how to make it work as all couples do," she said.

Matt entered the room.

"I found these files in my out box," he said, stacking them on her desk.

"Thank," she said, "I think I'll have enough time for the gala…"

"C.J., you're still officially on vacation," Matt protested, "They can wait."

She sighed.

"I'm in the office, Gracie's still out shopping, I can do a little bit of work before getting ready for tonight."

He conceded.

"Okay, but I'll handle some of it as well…"

She frowned up at him.

"What about Elizabeth," she said, "I'll bet she's looking forward to tonight's party."

His face changed.

"About her…"

Gracie rushed into the office with a shout.

"I found them," she exclaimed, waving her shopping bag, "The perfect shoes."

Then she looked around the room.

"Did I interrupt anything?"

C.J. looked at Matt.

"No, we're just finishing up some paperwork on some invoices."

Gracie made a face.

"You can't think about work right now," she said, "I booked us at this cute little spa in Beverly Hills."

C.J. started to say something but just smiled.

"Actually that sounds like exactly what I need right now," she said, "Let's go."

After C.J. straightened her desk a bit, the two women left the office with the two men looking at them as they got on the elevator.

"You didn't tell C.J. did you?"

Matt looked at his uncle.

"I haven't had time," he said, "and she promised me we'd get together tomorrow and talk."

"She thinks that you're going to run off and elope with Elizabeth," Roy said, "I think you need to set her straight."

"I plan to do that," Matt said, "but she didn't want to do it until after the gala."

Roy nodded.

"The party of the year or so I hear," he said.

"More like the week," Matt said, "If it weren't for such a good cause, I think I'd skip it."

* * *

C.J. and Gracie walked into the Whispering Sands Day Spa to get massages and treatments to prepare for the charity gala.

"The massages here are very relaxing," C.J. told her friend.

"Good, we'll start there and then get facials," Gracie said, "and then have our nails done."

C.J. thoroughly enjoyed her massage and when she finished she asked herself why she hadn't gotten one earlier. She and Gracie sat in the room, to get their facials and manicures.

"That massage was just like being in heaven," Gracie raved.

"It sure hit the spot," C.J. agreed.

"More like a few spots."

C.J. nodded.

"I can almost face this gala tonight," she said.

Gracie looked at her surprised.

"You don't want to go," she said, "It sounds like a great time."

C.J. shrugged.

"I'd rather stay home," she said, "but I did get a message from Brian. He might be attending with the mayor's delegation."

"That sounds exciting in more ways than one," Gracie said, "He's good looking and he seems to like you a lot."

"He's nice and maybe a good time right now is exactly what I need."

"It can't hurt," Gracie said, "and it might be fun to kick up your heels. Now if I can just find someone…"

C.J. looked up and groaned. Gracie followed her glance and saw that Ginger and Elizabeth had clearly had the same idea of heading to the spa for a tune up before the gala tonight. If only it hadn't been the same spa.

"In a city filled with more spas than most, what are the odds they'd wind up here," Gracie asked.

"I intend to just keep relaxing," C.J. said, closing her eyes.

"Maybe they won't come over here," Gracie said.

But that was wishful thinking because of course they did walk on over and sit down on two nearby recliners.

"Hi, surprising to see you here," Ginger said, looking at her nails.

"I don't know if I would call it that," Gracie said, "But we just are hitting the spa before going to that wicked party tonight."

Ginger smiled broadly.

"Well great minds must think alike because we've decided to do the same thing."

"How are things going," Gracie said, "I heard Elizabeth spent more time with Matt today."

Elizabeth just looked away as a manicurist sat across from her.

"Yes, they had a…great morning together," Ginger said, "and they'll both be going to the gala tonight."

"That's great," Gracie said, "Because C.J. and I will be going and Brian that nice guy from the Mayor's office will be there too."

Ginger looked critically at C.J.

"Are you sure she'll be up for it?"

C.J. looked at Ginger, wondering what she was getting at.

"Of course I will be," she said, "What kind of question is that?"

Ginger chose her words carefully.

"Well I wouldn't think a woman in your condition would be out partying late."

Gracie folded her arms.

"What do you mean her condition?"

Ginger chuckled.

"Come on, don't be coy," she said, "We're all grown women here. We know what C.J. and her best friend were doing a couple of months ago and we know what can happen…"

C.J. fought the temptation to get out of her chair.

"I am not going to discuss my personal life with you."

"It must be difficult knowing that the man you slept with is in love with someone else," Ginger said.

She looked at Elizabeth but her friend just stared at the manicurist.

"I'm sure that's a situation you're very well acquainted with," C.J. said, "but not me."

"You do have a catty side," Ginger remarked, "I'm impressed."

C.J. just closed her eyes again.

"I came here to relax Ginger, not get into it with you."

Ginger clucked.

"You've been doing that a lot lately," she said, "Maybe the truth is that Matt wants you out of the way for a while he works things out with Elizabeth."

"Maybe that's it," Gracie said, "Now that you have everything figured out, you can close your mouth and we can all sit here in peace."

"Now what fun is that," Ginger said.

Elizabeth finally turned her head.

"Ginger…"

"Elizabeth, really we're just having a conversation," she said, "Isn't this what women usually do when they hang out at the corner spa?"

"I'm here to relax before tonight," C.J. said, "by all means, continue that conversation and leave me out of it."

"So I take it that means you're not going to tell us how Matt's honeymoon trip went," Ginger said.

C.J. narrowed her eyes.

"I don't discuss my personal life for anyone else's amusement," she said.

"Fair enough," Ginger said, "After all, it didn't work out did it?"

C.J. sighed.

"Why are you so interested in my business," she said, "If Elizabeth is happy and Houston is, then isn't that what's important?"

Ginger studied C.J. carefully. C.J. looked back, wanting to slap her at this point but keeping her cool.

"I'm just curious," Ginger said, "It's going to be a great party tonight. Lots of eligible and hot men come to these parties."

"That should be good for you then," Gracie said, "if not for them."

Ginger frowned.

"You're just jealous," she said, "I'll be sure to leave you a couple of the spares."

Gracie laughed.

"Please, don't do me any favors," she said, "I'm just here to eat the good food. There are plenty of guys in the Bay Area to keep me happy."

"I'll bet," Ginger said, then looked around, "Where can a lady get something to drink around here?"

"There's a place that sells some herbal teas and smoothies around the corner," Gracie offered.

Ginger made a face.

"That's not quite what I had in mind."

But she finally shrugged and sauntered after asking Elizabeth if she wanted anything. Her friend just shrugged her shoulders.

C.J. looked over at Elizabeth.

"Are you okay," she asked.

Elizabeth stared at her and forced a smile.

"Sure, everything's just…fine."

C.J. and Gracie looked at each other.

"I'm almost done here," C.J. said.

Gracie nodded and both women stood up and looked in the mirrors.

"We don't look half bad," Gracie said.

"I feel a lot better," C.J. said, "Even Ginger didn't ruin the mood."

Suddenly, a man ran into the store and pulled out a gun.

"All right everyone line up against the wall," he yelled, "This is a robbery."

C.J. and Gracie looked at each other again, but did what the robber said and lined against the wall, waiting to see what would happen next.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11--The latest installment of this fan fiction is up. I hope you enjoy it and thanks for reading and the comments!

* * *

The two women stood with the other spa guests in bathrobes against the wall. Some of the women still wore their hair in towels and others wore facials. All of them looked at the robber fearfully. He walked up and down, waving his gun.

"Which one of you are loaded," he asked, "I mean this is Beverly Hills isn't it?"

C.J. and Gracie looked at each other. He thrust his gun in their direction.

"Well is it," he pressed.

An older woman wearing a lime green terry cloth bathrobe nodded.

"Okay then hand over your jewelry," he said, reaching out the hand not holding the gun, "All of it."

The woman just looked at him.

"My purse is in my locker," she said, "Should I go get it?"

She started to move but he waved the gun at her so she stopped.

"No one moves," he ordered.

C.J. raised her hands.

"No one's moving," she said, "See we're all standing still just as you asked."

He narrowed his eyes at her.

"Who are you," he said, "Some bored Beverly Hills wife coming to get her weekly spa treatments to hold onto her husband or are you the spoiled mistress?"

"Is there a third answer," Gracie asked.

The man looked confused, but he kept the gun aimed at the women.

"What do you mean," he said.

Gracie snorted.

"Like none of the above" she said, "We just came here to relax before the big charity gala tonight but we're two working girls."

"You mean you're…"

Gracie frowned.

"That didn't come out the way it was intended."

"No it didn't," C.J. agreed.

The man grew impatient.

"Ladies, this is a robbery," he said, "Now stop jabbering and hand over your jewelry."

The women started taking off their rings and their necklaces. Ginger walked in with her wheat germ beverage that she kept at arm's length. She took in the sight and froze.

"What is going on here," she said.

Gracie rolled her eyes.

"It's a robbery," she said, "Can't you tell?"

Ginger put her glass down on a table and folded her arms.

"Of course I can," she said, "There's a man holding a gun on all of you."

The agitated man shifted his attention and his gun in her direction.

"And you too," he said, "Now get your ass over to that wall."

She threw him a look.

"You don't have to get all forceful about it," she said, "All you have to do is ask."

He gestured with the gun and she complied, but not without grumbling.

"This isn't another one of your ex-boyfriends is it," she said to C.J.

"No, they're all either in prison or accounted for," C.J. responded.

"Shut up over there," the man barked.

Ginger harrumphed.

"How dare you tell us to be quiet when you're holding a gun at us and ordering us to hand over our prized possessions," he said.

The man shrugged.

"Hey they're just fancy rocks," he said, "Your husbands can always buy you new jewelry."

"I'm not married," Ginger said, "but I do have plenty of boyfriends who are generous so I guess I can spare a couple pieces for your collection."

With that, she began taking off her necklace and her earrings.

"Lady, I want all of it," the robber said.

"I don't believe this," Gracie said, "We're just handing over our belongings to a two bit hood."

"One with a gun," C.J. said, "So if we're going to act, we're going to have to be careful."

"Got anything planned?"

C.J. watched the robber carefully as he began collecting jewelry from the other women.

"I'm going to that gala tonight."

The robber came over to them.

"You sure like to gab a lot," he said, "Are you sure you're not one of those spoiled upper society wives?"

"No," C.J. said, "I don't even have a boyfriend let alone a rich one."

Gracie nodded.

"I've been trying to find her one but you know what the dating scene is like in this town…"

The man nodded.

"Tell me about it," he said, "My good for nothing fiancée left me at the altar to marry the CEO who owns this place."

Gracie raised her brows.

"Really," she said, "Is that why you came here, to get back at her groom?"

He lowered the gun a little bit.

"Well I had a car payment to make too and her no good husband fired me from the tennis club," he said, "I was the best towel boy they ever had."

"I bet."

C.J. watched his as he began to relax. The man began to frown just when she thought he might settle down.

"Why should you rich bitches care about my life," he said, starting to pace again, "All you do is sit on your butts all day while your rich husbands bring home the money so you can spend it."

That irritated C.J.

"Watch it with the language," she said.

He just looked at her.

"Listen here," she continued, "I've always worked for a living and never had any of my boyfriends support me and I have to tell you your decision to denigrate women through your choice of words is probably why your fiancée left you."

His mouth dropped open.

"You don't know squat," he said, "None of you do."

"Nice going C.J.," Ginger said, "Now he's going to kill us all and then take our jewelry from our dead bodies."

C.J. shook her head.

"I don't think so," she said, "And he's getting nothing from me."

Ginger turned to the gunman.

"She might have a death wish seeing as how her latest boyfriend got back together with my friend here but the rest of us don't," she said, "In fact, I'm looking forward to going to the party tonight to help my friend here celebrate her reunion with her fiancé."

Elizabeth looked at Ginger.

"What are you talking about?"

Ginger smiled.

"Elizabeth dear, I'm trying to convince him to let us go," she said, under her breath.

"But Matt and I, we're not getting married," she said, "In fact, he dumped me."

"Shhhh," Ginger said, "The whole world doesn't need to know that especially before the gala."

Elizabeth sighed.

"What is it to you anyway," she said, "It's my personal life and Matt and I have decided to go our separate ways."

"You could still get him to change his mind…"

The robber walked over to them.

"Stop whispering," he said, "I hate it. My no good hussy of an ex-fiancée used to whisper on the phone all the time. Now I know why.

Elizabeth nodded.

"I know how you feel," she said, "I just got…"

Ginger shook her head.

"No, I've got to say this," Elizabeth protested, "I had a fiancé I loved very much and we're supposed to get married but I had to call it off."

"Why," the robber asked, "He didn't make enough money?"

She looked down at her hands.

"No he's a multi-millionaire, but that's not the point," she continued, "He has a very dangerous profession and I was so scared I would lose him or the police would call me and tell me he had been murdered."

"Was he a cop?"

She shook her head.

"No, he helped people but what he did put him in danger," she said, " she said, "I thought I could handle that part of his life but when push came to shove and someone tried to disrupt our wedding, I realized I couldn't."

"That was her ex-boyfriend," Ginger said, pointing to C.J., "He spoiled everything."

C.J. really couldn't argue with that. Robert Tyler had made a mess of a lot of things including his own life but he had plenty of time to think about it locked up in prison.

"I left him but with the passage of time, I realized that I still loved him and that I had made a horrible mistake leaving him," Elizabeth said.

"And he didn't want you back," the robber finished, "That's a really sad story but I'm sure you got what you deserve."

He pointed his gun at her.

"I should just pull this trigger now and do him a favor."

C.J. moved between Elizabeth and the gun.

"Don't do that," she said, "It's my fault really. I went on his honeymoon with him and I…seduced him."

Ginger and Gracie looked at her incredulously but Elizabeth didn't appear too surprised. The robber tilted his head.

"And then you dumped him."

"What we had in Tahiti was…very special," C.J. said, "But I've been friends with him most of my life and that's very special too. I didn't want to risk losing that."

Ginger snorted.

"He would have dumped her anyway," she said, "If Elizabeth can't keep him interested, she would never stand a chance."

Gracie put her hands on her hips.

"Hey, that's not true," she said, "In fact, he told me he didn't want to end things. He did it just to respect her feelings."

C.J. looked at her startled.

"He did what?"

The robber shook his head.

"What is it with you women and dumping men," he said, "We can never stand a chance with the lot of you. You want it all. A great body and a thick wallet."

Ginger held up her hand.

"Wait a minute here," she said, "What about you? You expect your women to have perfect hair and body, perky breasts, narrow waist and long hair you can run your fingers through…"

"What are you mumbling about," the robber asked, "All I wanted was for Buffy to return my calls."

Elizabeth nodded.

"All I wanted was for Matt to love me," she said, "We were going to be married. Why does love have to be so complicated?"

"That could still happen," Ginger reminded her, "but we still have to get our pedicures done before we'll be ready to head back and get dressed for tonight which means he has to leave."

The robber raised his gun.

"I'm sorry but I don't think that's going to happen."

* * *

Matt sat in his office, sifting through a pile of papers that had been faxed from Houston Enterprises back in Texas. Murray who was acting president had been preparing for a business deal that had caught Matt's interest when it had first been proposed but today, Matt had a lot of other work to catch up on before doing battle with yet another tuxedo tie and getting it under control before tonight.

Roy walked in carrying some more folders.

"This is the last of it," he said, "I think Murray's going to give the fax machine a break for now."

Matt sighed.

"When I first heard about this business deal, I thought it was a great opportunity," he said, "But it's gotten so complicated."

"I can see you don't miss the life of a CEO," Roy said.

"Hardly," he said, "Not that I didn't have a great time building up the company but I think I like my current line of work much better."

"Need any help?"

Matt shook his head.

"I'm going to leave most of this work until Monday," he said, "I'm going to try and have a good time tonight."

"It should be fun," Roy said, "I heard they hired a great jazz band. Should attract a nice crowd."

"It will be nice to not think about work for a few hours," Matt said, "Though we're no closer to finding out why Clyde Jenkins is in L.A. and who he's working for."

"I thought you agreed to let Hoyt and the LAPD handle that end," Roy said.

"I only agreed to think about it," Matt said, "But I've been crossing paths with this guy a lot during the past several days."

"You don't think it's a coincidence?"

Matt paused.

"Probably," he said, "He doesn't seem interested in me or any of my current cases. He just seems really dangerous."

"Whatever he's done, will catch up to him," Roy said, "It usually does."

"I really hurt Elizabeth," Matt said.

"She needed to know the truth," Roy said, "It would have hurt more down the line."

"I know," Matt said, "I did really love her but I think I loved the thought of having a wife and family even more."

Roy patted his nephew on the shoulder.

"You will have that someday," he said, "I remember thinking the same way that you do now but the day will come along with the woman and you'll have no doubts."

"I really believed she was the one who would bring it all together."

Roy smiled.

"You're still young," he said, "You have plenty of time to figure it out."

And with that, he walked away.

* * *

C.J. looked at the robber who had returned to waving his gun at all of them and wondered how much longer this siege was going to last. She looked at her watch and realized that an hour had passed since he had first arrived demanding their jewelry.

"Are you saying you're not going to let us go," she asked.

The robber seemed uncertain.

"All I wanted was for…"

"Buffy to like you," C.J. finished, "Well certainly you've learned by now in life that you can't have everything that you want."

"That's easy for you to say," he sniffled.

"No, it's not," C.J. continued, "We all have to make difficult choices. I had to help send the man I loved to prison last year."

"He didn't give you that diamond collection you wanted, or that fancy car?"

C.J. sighed.

"No, he kidnapped and murdered people to get ahead in his career," she said, "He tried to kill my best friend and facing that was one of the most difficult things I ever had to do."

"So you betrayed him," the robber said, "That's what you women always do simply because we aren't perfect."

Ginger looked at him cross eyed.

"Her ex-lover's in prison right now," she said, "After getting out on a furlough program and totally destroying my friend's chance to have a joyous wedding with her fiancé."

"That's not what happened," Elizabeth started.

Ginger interrupted her.

"But in his case, he definitely belongs in prison," she said, "Though I have to say C.J. here definitely knows how to pick them."

He turned to look at C.J.

"Did you want to betray him," he asked.

He still had the gun in his hand so C.J. had to be diplomatic in her response.

"I loved him," she said, "We knew each other in college and ran into each other years later and he was everything I wanted. Or so I thought."

He nodded.

"And he still wanted to be with you after what you did."

C.J. narrowed her eyes.

"In a matter of speaking, I guess that's what his attempts to force me to marry him at gunpoint were all about," she said.

"And you sent him back to prison," he said, shaking his head.

She looked at him irritated.

"He did that on his own," she said, "It's his decision how he's going to behave and his responsibility."

"But if he was trying to push ahead in his career to impress you…"

She held up her hand.

"I loved him," she said, "It didn't matter whether he was an anchor for the Big Three or a cub reporter."

He shook his head.

"That's what they all say," he said, "but when push comes to shove…"

"I was willing to resign my position at a company I spent years at to be with him," C.J. said, "I chose him over my best friend until I came to my senses."

"Maybe Buffy will come to her senses," he said, thoughtfully.

C.J. kept her eyes on his gun which he held to his side.

"Maybe," she agreed.

She listened and began to hear sirens in the distance. She wondered who had contacted the police. Soon she heard vehicles coming to an abrupt stop in front of the building. The man heard them too and began getting agitated again.

"Are they coming for me," he asked, looking around.

Gracie lifted her brows.

"You think?"

"I didn't hurt anyone," he said looking at the women standing against the wall.

"They won't hurt you if you turn yourself in," C.J. said, "You should probably consider doing that."

The man looked at her indecisively.

* * *

Matt's chair squeaked as he leaned backward in it and closed his eyes. A pile of paperwork lay in front of him and he had gone through most of it but just couldn't look at it anymore. He would stop working soon and head on to the beach house to get ready for the gala. He sighed, wishing there was a way to get out of it.

Roy popped his head in the office.

"Finishing up here soon?"

Matt looked up and nodded.

"I'm not going to look at any of this until Monday," he said, getting up.

Roy nodded.

"Wise choice," he said, as Matt prepared to leave his office.

The phone rang. Matt looked at it debating whether he should pick it up or let it ring. Roy looked at him and finally Matt picked up the receiver.

"Hello."

"Matt, it's Jason," he said, "We've got some of your friends here. They were in a day spa while it was being robbed."

"Are they okay," Matt asked.

"A little shaken up but fine," Jason said, "They said that the man walked in the spa planning to rob it to get back at his fiancée's boyfriend."

"So what happened?"

"C.J. talked him into surrendering and it ended peacefully," Jason said.

Matt closed his eyes.

"I'll be right there…"

"Matt, they're fine and they're leaving to get ready for that big charity bash tonight," Jason said.

"But they could have been hurt," Matt countered,

"They're fine," Jason said, "In fact, they're getting their manicures done right now and then they'll be heading home to get read."

Matt sighed.

"And the guy's going away for a while?"

"He's in jail with no bail," Jason said, "And we're going to try to keep it that way."

"Thanks for calling me," Matt said.

"It's been a busy couple of days hasn't it?"

Matt couldn't disagree with that. He said goodbye and hung up the phone and prepared to leave the office to go home and get ready for a gala he didn't really want to attend. Wondering if life could get any more complicated.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12---The latest chapter of this FF story is complete. Hope you like it and thanks for reading and the comments.

* * *

C.J. looked at her dress in the mirror and decided she liked it. She fixed her hair and thought that she just might enjoy herself at the gala after all. The relaxation of the past several days had done her a lot of good and she was beginning to feel like herself again. Well not entirely, there were some things that only time could change but a night of good food and entertainment awaited her.

Gracie walked in and whistled.

"That dress is beautiful," she said, "And it really fits you well."

C.J. smoothed it with her hands.

"I like it," she said, "I think it goes well with the shoes."

"I don't know about you but I'm planning to have a great time tonight," Gracie said, "I want to see how the other half parties."

"It's a lot of standing around and making business deals but I read about the estate in the magazines. It's supposed to be beautiful especially the gardens."

"Is it large enough for us to avoid Ginger," Gracie asked.

C.J. smiled.

"I think so," she said, "I have no intention of hanging around her tonight."

"Is Brian going to be there?"

C.J. nodded.

"It will be nice to see him again," she said, "He seems like a great guy."

"He's sure good looking," Gracie said, "I hope there's more where he came from at this thing."

"I'm sure there will be," C.J. said, "I've met a few great men at events like this."

Gracie put on some mascara.

"So will Matt be taking Elizabeth to this event?"

C.J. shrugged.

"I guess," she said, "I'm not really keeping up with his social life."

"Why should you," Gracie said, "You had your fun with him already."

C.J. looked at her pointedly.

"Gracie, why do you keep bringing that up," she said, "We've put it behind us. Houston certainly has."

Gracie looked at her eye shadow.

"You didn't even give it a chance," she said.

"And as it turns out," C.J. said, "That wasn't a bad thing. He's happy enough spending time with Elizabeth."

Gracie just looked at her friend.

"I didn't get the impression that they're still together," she said, "In fact, I thought I heard Elizabeth and Ginger talk about her getting dumped by him during that whole robbery at the spa thing."

"Maybe," C.J. said, "But I understand where Elizabeth is coming from. When I thought I was pregnant, I thought about it…"

"About what," Gracie asked.

C.J. hesitated.

"Having a child with a man whose life can be dangerous," she said, "And not knowing if he's going to be coming back at the end of the day."

Gracie shrugged.

"It's the same for cops like your friend Jason."

"Maybe," C.J. said, "I wonder how Lisa is going to handle it if they get married some day."

"If they love each other, that's what matters."

C.J. frowned.

"That's what Houston's always saying," she said.

"He's always been a smart guy even for a guy who got his head hit way too much on the football field," Gracie said.

"You have to be practical too," C.J. pointed out.

"True," Gracie said, "but still, loving someone means compromising and working things out."

"When I have children," C.J. said, "I want their father to be there for them. I don't want to be alone and during those few days when I didn't know…I don't think I ever felt so alone."

Gracie rubbed her shoulders.

"You wouldn't have been alone," she said, "You know that Matt would have been there with you. Even if he had been trying to reunite with Elizabeth."

C.J. sat down on the bed.

"It would have made things so complicated," she said,

Gracie sat down too.

"You would have worked it out," she said, "You're both intelligent, resourceful people who really care about each other."

C.J.'s brow furrowed.

"I guess we would have eventually," she said, "It's moot at this point anyway."

Gracie looked at her watch.

"We've better get a move on to make it to this party," she said, "I want to get there early so I won't miss anything."

C.J. chuckled.

"It usually takes a couple of hours for things for these events to get going," she said, getting up.

* * *

Ginger watched Elizabeth who was standing in front of a full-length mirror in her hotel room, frowning.

"What's the matter," she asked.

"Why are we even going to this party anyway," Elizabeth said, with a big sigh, "I've been dumped by the man I love. I might as wear a huge sign on my chest.

Ginger walked over and smoothed her hair away.

"Don't worry about that," she said, "Just focus on having a good time. I'm sure Matt will see the error of his ways and realize he's made a mistake."

Elizabeth turned around to face her friend.

"How," she protested, "I know that he cares about me but he's not in love with me."

"But you're still in love with him right?"

Elizabeth picked up a brush and stroked it through her hair.

"Yes…I am…but that's not enough and we both know it."

Ginger shook her head, her auburn waves bouncing.

"We don't know that," she reasoned, "Matt's under a lot of pressure right now…"

Elizabeth put up her hand.

"I know that," she said, "and maybe I didn't pick a good time to come back but I couldn't stay away any longer."

Ginger had spent the two weeks with her trying to forget her ex-fiancé in one of the top partying spots in Mexico and she had seen her friend mourning during the time she had locked her way in the hotel until she finally decided to have a good time.

"Look at me," Ginger said, "You're a beautiful, intelligent and successful woman. Any man would be happy to have you by his side."

"I don't want just any man," Elizabeth said, "My brothers tried to choose who I would marry while I was growing up like we were back in medieval days. I want to choose and I've made my choice."

"And I'm sure Matt will choose you again," Ginger said, "This little fling he had with his business partner just sidetracked him a bit. He'll get over it and see the light again, that's standing right in front of him."

Elizabeth sighed.

"I just want to forget about all this for a little while," she said, "If I go to this party, I just want to have some fun for a while."

Ginger looked at her, then nodded approvingly.

"We'll do just that," she said, "We'll forget about Matt-what's-his-name and he can sit back and watch you have a good time with other men and then he'll think about what he's given up."

Elizabeth clipped her curls back.

"I'm not going to do some silly little stunt like try to make him jealous," she said, "I'm serious about wanting to have a good time."

Ginger nodded, and then went to fetch her purse. She pulled out her flask and took off the cap, handing it to Elizabeth.

"I don't need that," Elizabeth said, "I can do just fine on my own."

Ginger shrugged and then took a long sip.

"I'll need every bit of fortification I can get and this will hold me over until the bash," she said, "I plan on being the belle of the ball."

Elizabeth felt a little queasy at her friend's words and the resolve in her voice.

"Now Ginger, you're not going to…"

"You better believe it," Ginger said, "I plan on livening this party up a little bit."

* * *

Matt showered and then changed into one of his black tie outfits. For once, he managed to handle his tie without mangling it. He asked himself more than once why he was intent on attending the charity gala. The money it raised funded a worthwhile charity but the past few days had been so turbulent both personally and professionally. He had just gotten his stitches from his latest gunshot removed before he had come back to the beach house to get ready. The doctor had warned him with a wag of his finger to not come back for a while. Matt couldn't promise him anything. His job was dangerous, his life was often at risk and he had accepted that a long time ago. After all, working military intelligence had placed him in dangerous situations, not quite as many as frontline combat soldiers faced, but enough for him to assess his life more than once from inside a foxhole. He had risked his life to rescue his cousin who had been presumed dead by the military but had been held captives for a decade by a warlord. He had been shot up, nearly blown up and on one occasion, kidnapped and brainwashed to believe he committed murder.

He poured himself some Scotch and thought about what Elizabeth had said on their wedding day about the dangers of his job and how much his identity was wrapped up in his professional life. The words had stung at the time but he had realized that much of what she had said was true. But knowing that, didn't make him feel like changing his life and what he did with it.

The doorbell rang. He opened it, expecting to see his uncle but saw Jason instead. He was still decked out in his special unit attire.

"What's up," Matt said.

Jason walked in his house.

"I just came out of a meeting with Hoyt and some of the organized crime detectives," he said.

Matt's brows rose.

"Does this have anything to do with Clyde Jenkins?"

Jason sighed.

"Actually one of the dead men he left behind," he said, "The guy he met in the alley that C.J. followed."

Matt blinked his eyes. He hated thinking about what could have happened to C.J. when she had done that. As it was, she had narrowly missed being shot when Jenkins tried to flee the scene of his latest shooting.

"What about him?"

"He had ties to the Russian mafia," Jason said, "They have an operation out here in L.A. in stolen merchandise and black market dealing."

Matt nodded.

"I had a couple cases that involved clients who were robbed by them."

"Well, this guy dealt in information technology," Jason said.

"You mean computers?"

Jason sighed, and then nodded.

"Yes," he said, "The local syndicate also had ties to that exotic animal theft ring that you and Roy got involved in several days ago."

"The snakes," Matt said, "They could have gotten a lot of money on the black market either as pets or for their venom."

"They have their tendrils all over Southern California," Jason said, "We don't even know how far yet."

Matt sipped his Scotch.

"So what's Jenkins role in all this intrigue?"

Jason shook his head.

"Your guess is as good as mine," he said, "He might be a contract killer or he might be in even deeper than that. He's a bit reckless to be a hit man and very dangerous."

"He's not local is he?"

"No," Jason said, "He's from back East. Our intel unit worked with the ATF and FBI and tied him to an assassination plot back in New York."

"Who was the target," Matt asked.

"A senator," Jason said, "But the feds and police were able to stop it before it went too far."

Matt paced.

"He's probably been called out here to kill someone," he said, "But he's drawn too much attention to himself already. If I were the mafia, I'd have pulled him off and assigned someone else by now but there's no way to tell what they've done."

"That's the problem," Jason said, "We don't know who he's after or more correctly, who the Russian mafia's going to hit, let alone where or when."

"You may not have much time to figure it out," Matt said, "before he strikes."

Jason nodded, and then narrowed his eyes at Matt.

"You're all dressed up," he said, "You're going to that big party tonight."

"I'd do anything to get out of it," Matt said, "But it's a great fundraiser, draws out a lot of heavy hitters."

"Lisa teased me about not going," Jason said, "but we're spending a quiet night at home. It's been hard to get nights off since I was transferred out of general investigations."

Matt hesitated.

"How does she handle it?"

"Handle what," Jason asked.

"The dangers of your profession," Matt asked, "The reality that you might not come home one night."

Jason chuckled.

"You're thinking some pretty dark thoughts," he said, "We talk about my job a lot and just try to work through it. Just like we do with her being on call so much."

"She works trauma doesn't she?"

Jason nodded.

"Since last year," he said, "What's this all about?"

Matt put his glass down.

"Just something I've been thinking about a lot since I broke up with Elizabeth," he said, "She had problems with my job. How dangerous was and how unpredictable."

"She's got reason to worry," Jason said, "You've been shot more than I have."

"But it's who I am," Matt said, "My career is part of my life."

"Yeah," Jason agreed, "But we both know that things change when he bring other people into our lives. It's all about making compromises and deciding where the lines will be drawn."

Matt nodded.

"I know that but it's…"

"More difficult to apply a principle to your life than understanding it," Jason finished, "I understand that all too well. But I really love Lisa, and she loves me warts and all and I really want to make it work this time."

Matt heard the emotion in his friend's voice and he understood what he had said.

"I wanted it to work with Elizabeth," he said, "but I think that what I wanted most was to make it work with someone."

Jason nodded.

"Been there too," he said, "but you have to find the right woman to really make it work."

Matt rubbed the bridge of his nose.

"I thought I had."

"Life gives you more than one chance," Jason said, "Something I'm very thankful for. "

Jason left but his words remained in Matt's thoughts as he continued getting ready for the party.

* * *

C.J. and Gracie sat in her car, music playing on the radio waiting for their car to reach the front of the line where the valet helped guests out of their cars before parking them.

"How many people were on this invite list again," Gracie said, fanning herself with a brochure.

C.J. shrugged.

"They wanted to raise a lot of money so they created the list accordingly," she said, "We should get to the gate in about 20 minutes or so."

Gracie leaned back in her seat.

"Now if there were some eye candy to look at, it wouldn't seem so long."

C.J. chuckled.

"I'm sure there will be enough of that at the party to make up for the wait," she said.

"I hope so."

They had driven from C.J.'s house to the tony neighborhood where a lot of L.A.'s rich and famous people lived. C.J. had recognized one of the neighboring mansions as the site where she and Robert had attended a bash and had witnessed what had appeared to be a genuine abduction of the woman who lived there. She found out later that the whole thing had been staged by her boyfriend no less in hopes of advancing his career. Looking back, she remembered how she had shielded him from a gun toting kidnapper with her body pleading with him not to kill Robert. The man who later tried to kill Matt for getting close enough to discover the truth about him.

"What's on your mind," Gracie said, suddenly.

C.J. shook her head.

"Oh nothing," she said, "I think the line is speeding up a bit."

The car inched forward before stopping again.

* * *

Behind them, Matt sat inside another car with his uncle who sat in the rear seat with his date. Matt felt like a third wheel to his uncle's social life not that he begrudged him for having one. In the past half hour, Matt had discovered how happy his uncle was to have found female companionship and that made him feel better about coming to the party.

"So do you think you've ever seen a more impressive landscaping job," the woman, Sophia, asked.

"I've read in _Home and Garden_ magazine that the rear gardens are among the most impressive and diversified in the city," Roy answered.

"I can't wait to see them," Sophia said, "I'm really a huge fan of the begonia family."

Roy smiled.

"So am I," he said, "though I haven't met a flower I haven't liked yet."

"Oh Roy," she said, chuckling.

Matt looked ahead at the long line of cars ahead of them including several limousines. It seemed that most of Hollywood's A list would be attending the gala along with politicians and professional athletes. He sighed, wishing he was back home at the beach house relaxing in his hot tub or sitting on the deck enjoying some barbecue. The party scene had been appealing when he was younger, but after a while, he learned to prefer the more casual things in life.

"Matlock," Roy said, "Don't look so tense. Try to have some fun tonight."

Matt bristled.

"I plan to do that," he said.

"C.J. and Gracie should be somewhere in this line," Roy said, "They're looking forward to the musical entertainment."

Matt nodded.

"Are they his girlfriends," Sophia asked.

"No, just some friends from way back," Roy said, "C.J. and Gracie were sorority sisters."

"Ooh so was I, back in the day."

"A couple of years ago, my nephew worked on a case where C.J. and her sorority sisters were targeted for murder by a pair of professional hit men who dressed up like Laurel and Hardy."

Sophia looked at him skeptically.

"Really," she said.

Matt nodded.

"It's true," he said, "And the guy who hired them was Charlie Chaplin or Grouch Marx or someone like that."

Her eyes widened.

"So what happened?"

"Matlock got on the case and solved it, bringing the killers to justice," Roy said, "But not without knocking him around a bit."

Matt thought back to how he narrowly avoided assault charges for those few extra punches he had thrown but the guy had tried to kill his best friend so he deserved that and more in his mind.

"He crossed a line when he tried to kill C.J."

"Your business partner," Sophia said.

"And my best friend," Matt said.

"Some best friend."

"Indeed," Roy said.

Matt narrowed his eyes in the mirror so his uncle could see them but if Roy did, he ignored him.

"She's gotten shot for him," Roy said, "Told him to go back inside a building to get some key evidence in a case even though she might have bled to death."

"I couldn't do that," Matt said, "She didn't forgive me right away for taking her to the hospital."

"And she's your friend," Sophia asked.

Matt didn't know why but just then, a flash from Tahiti hit him just then, of him and C.J. in a position in which even close friends didn't find themselves in. He remembered feeling better holding onto her than he'd ever felt in his life, as if things had started to make sense. He had murmured something like that before she silenced him with another kiss.

"Friends do things like that for each other," he said, simply.

Sophia nodded.

"Well, I think it's great that men and women can be such great friends," she said, "In our day, love sometimes came after marriage, not before."

Matt listened to the two of them bantering back and forth, his mind deep in thought. Of the past and the future, wondering if the two would ever meet.

* * *

Elizabeth took another glass of champagne. True to their word, she and Ginger had left the hotel early to try to be among the first to arrive at the gala. And after seeing the long line of cars behind them, she was glad she had listened to Ginger.

Ginger had taken off, leading some young gentleman who was a magazine publisher off by the arm to talk leaving Elizabeth alone with her champagne. Oh, and the servings in the crystal glasses were too small to last and she found herself replacing her empty glass with a full one several times before too long.

"Excuse me," a voice said.

Elizabeth looked up to see an older gentleman with silvery hair and a coarse mustache looking at her.

"Would you like to dance," he asked.

She nodded, figuring she had to keep busy so she wouldn't be thinking about getting dumped by Matt and her broken heart. So she drank another glass of champagne and followed him out on the dance floor.

* * *

C.J. finally surrendered her car to the valet and she and Gracie went inside where they entered into the receiving line which thanked them for coming. After that was done, Gracie reached for the nearest champagne being toted about by a waiter on a platter and got glasses for herself and C.J.

"It's warm in here," Gracie said, "Let's go see the band."

They walked over to where the musicians were and then they saw what was happening on the dance floor. Elizabeth was out dancing with some older gentleman.

"She looks like she's living it up," Ginger noted.

C.J. narrowed her eyes.

"That's…."

"Who," Gracie said, looking closer.

C.J.'s face flushed.

"He…ahem works in the field of adult entertainment," she said, "He's a producer."

Gracie raised her brow.

"And how would you know that?"

C.J. brushed her hair back.

"We had a client once who was trying to get her daughter out of that business," C.J. said, "She spent a lot of time with him."

"Wow," Gracie said, "Do you think they've gotten that far in their conversation, about what they do for a living?"

"Probably not," C.J. said, "I don't think Elizabeth would be dancing with him if she knew what he did."

"You don't think…"

"I don't know," C.J. said, "She's a little bit older than the women he usually is interested in but you never know."

"Should we warn her," Gracie asked.

C.J. looked at the door and saw Matt, Roy and a woman who looked to be Roy's date. She looked back at Elizabeth, wondering what would happen when Matt saw her with the porno producer. Suddenly, the music stopped and the couples walked off to the sidelines to grab some refreshment.

Ginger walked up to C.J. and Gracie.

"Looks like Elizabeth's having a good time," she said.

Gracie harrumphed.

"Do you know who she's with?"

Ginger checked him out.

"Looks pretty good for an older guy," she said, "He's clearly got money…"

"Do you know where he got that money," Gracie asked.

"Oil…stocks…movies," Ginger guessed.

"The last one," Gracie said, "only these movies come with a triple letter rating."

Ginger looked puzzled and then she reacted.

"You mean he works in the porn industry," she said, "Probably on the other side of the camera."

"He's a producer that Houston and I ran into on a case last year," C.J. explained, "He's not going to be very happy when he sees him together."

Ginger thought about that and then smiled.

"Maybe he should know," she said, "It might liven up this gala a bit."

C.J. and Gracie looked at Ginger.

"You want him to fight this guy over Elizabeth," Gracie said.

Ginger shrugged.

"Sounds pretty romantic to me," she said, "Maybe it's time to let him know."

Matt had left the room talking to one of the hosts of the bash, probably about how his charity was going.

C.J. saw Elizabeth and the producer head towards the refreshment table and started to walk towards them. The man looked up and his eyes widened in recognition.

"Crystal," he muttered, "Of course we know that's not your real name."

She tilted her head.

"What are you doing here," she asked.

Elizabeth looked at C.J. puzzled.

"He asked me to dance," she said, "like a gentleman."

C.J. shook her head.

"He's no gentleman."

"What do you mean," Elizabeth asked.

"He's a producer…of adult movies," C.J. said, "Somehow I don't think he shared that part of his biography with you."

Elizabeth turned to look at the producer.

"Is that true?"

He looked down.

"Yes, but it's all in good fun," he said, "Only those who are sexually…repressed get upset over what I do for a living."

"You drugged the daughter of a client of ours last year," C.J. said.

"She…over imbibed at the catering table," the producer said, "No one forced her to drink."

Elizabeth folded her arms.

"When were you going to tell me," she asked.

He shrugged.

"I didn't think what I did for a living would be an issue," he said, "I'm on my own time and you're a very attractive woman and…"

"She's not going on the dance floor with you," a male voice said.

C.J. looked up as did the others and saw that Matt had approached them. The producer approached him.

"And what business is it of yours," the producer said.

"I'll make it my business," Matt said, "if you don't stay away from these ladies and go enjoy the rest of the party elsewhere."

"You can't tell me what to do," the producer protested.

Matt grabbed him suddenly, swung him around and put his wrist in a lock. The man winced.

"You're hurting me," he said.

"Take that as your incentive for leaving," Matt said.

The producer nodded and Matt released him, leaving him to shake his head while rubbing his wrist.

Elizabeth looked at her ex-fiancé.

"Thank you so much Matt," she said, "I don't know what I would have done…"

"Elizabeth, he's not a good man," he said.

"We were just dancing," she said, "I just wanted to have some fun."

C.J. looked up and saw Bryan approach.

"So you decided to come," she said, with a smile.

He grinned.

"Would the lady like to dance," he said, extending his hand.

"The lady most definitely would," she said, taking it.

They walked towards the dance floor, and Matt watched them. They seemed happy enough together, as he had said something that made her laugh. Elizabeth looked at him.

"Would you dance with me Matt," she said, "for old times sake?"

He looked at her and nodded and they walked over there just as the band started up with a new song. Matt saw his uncle taking Sophia in his arms doing the waltz.

"Is that his girlfriend," Elizabeth asked.

He nodded. She rested her head on his shoulder.

"This is a really nice song," she said, "Remember the night of that other party?"

"Elizabeth…."

She shook her head.

"I know Matt," she said, "But can't a woman still have her memories?"

Matt agreed that she could especially since he had his and they didn't involve Elizabeth. He tried to focus on the present, not be drawn in the past that he had agreed to keep there.

C.J. frowned. Bryan noticed and he looked at her.

"Anything wrong," he asked.

"No," she said, "I just thought I saw someone…"

"Who?"

She shook her head to dismiss her suspicions. While they had been dancing, her eyes had wondered and she caught the sight of a man dressed as a security guard. Something about him…

"Never mind," she said, "I'm being silly."'

When she paused to look in the direction where she had seen the man, she saw that he was gone.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13--The latest chapter of this older FF story is completed. Thanks for reading and for the comments and I hope you enjoy it!

* * *

The music played and the guests congregated on the dance floor and around the refreshment tables. Ginger had ditched the magazine editor and moved onto one of the starting quarterbacks for a football team back East. She curled her arm around his impressive biceps and led him to the bar. Elizabeth and Matt were still dancing as were Brian and C.J.

"So you come to these parties often," the quarterback asked.

He was all brawn, said few words and sported a diamond stud in one of his ears but he proved to be quite impressive out of uniform and decked in a tuxedo. She winked at him.

"Only when I know men like you are going to be there," she purred.

Bryan and C.J. left the floor and headed towards the bar. He ordered a scotch and she had some wine.

"You're quite a dancer," he said.

She smiled.

"So are you."

Ginger walked over bringing the football player who had begun tossing peanuts from a bowl on the bar and catching them in his mouth. While Ginger admired the deftness of his obvious talent, she felt they needed to mingle a bit.

"C.J., this must be Bryan."

C.J. just nodded, not feeling up to complimenting Ginger's grasp of the obvious.

"He's out of the mayor's office," she said.

"And you must be Ginger," he said, "I think I remember you from the other night."

She sighed.

"Oh that," she said, "Just another adventure."

He laughed.

"Is it par for the course?"

Ginger shrugged.

"Ask her," she said, gesturing to C.J., "Her ahem, best friend was responsible for that bit of excitement."

"Matt Houston's a private investigator," C.J. said, "That man had shot him several days before."

"In another restaurant," Ginger finished.

Bryan nodded slowly as if trying to understand.

"I see," he said, "Life must never be boring for you."

C.J. looked at him. Ginger chuckled.

"Oh rest assured it's not," she said, "She had a thing for him a while ago."

"For who," Brian asked.

C.J. just looked at Ginger, wanting to smack her.

"Her business partner," Ginger said, "Who's out dancing with his ex-fiancée, Elizabeth."

"Ginger, don't you have some where to go," C.J. asked.

Ginger looked at the quarterback who had returned to throwing peanuts in the air again.

"Not really," she said.

* * *

Matt and Elizabeth continued dancing until the song had ended and then he had suggested they get some refreshments at the bar. She grabbed a glass of champagne from a waiter on the way and Matt saw where C.J. and Bryan were standing together. And then he saw Ginger who shot him a look from where she nursed her own drink.

"I see they're all together over there," Elizabeth said, wrapping her stole closer around her.

"I guess they are," Matt said, wary at the body language he was witnessing especially between C.J. and Ginger.

Gracie came over and joined them.

"That was some dancing," she said, "I think I'm worn out."

"The night's young," Ginger said, "Plenty of dances left."

She picked up her whisky and lime and took a few sips.

"Ginger, how many drinks have you had today," Elizabeth asked.

"Not nearly as many as you have," Ginger responded, "I don't start off with the champagne and work my way up. I cut to the chase."

Bryan looked across the crowd.

"Look, the senator's here," he said, "Come on C.J., I'll introduce you to him."

C.J. looked around her and nodded.

"That'll be great."

He took her arm and they walked off to where a group of people gathered around the distinguished looking man. Matt watched them go and then turned towards the others.

Gracie looked over at Ginger.

"What happened to your date," she asked.

"Oh he's talking with the bartender," Ginger said, "Somehow I don't think the chemistry's quite right."

"I danced with an airline pilot," Gracie said, "But I think he's into blonds."

Elizabeth looked at Matt.

"She's having a good time."

He blinked his eyes.

"What," he said, "Who?"

"C.J."

He furrowed his brow.

"I hope she's having fun," Matt said, "She's been working hard these past couple months. I think she was getting tired."

"That's not from working," Ginger noted, "That's from…"

Elizabeth shot her friend a warning glance.

"Working hard," she finished, "I heard she'd been traveling a lot."

Matt sipped his drink. He looked over at C.J. and Bryan and saw them talking to the senator.

"Elizabeth, he has to know the truth," Ginger said.

"Truth about what," he asked.

"C.J.'s been keeping a secret from you," Ginger said.

"What are you talking about," Matt said.

"She's…"

"Coming this way," Gracie said, taking her drink and joining C.J. who had returned without Bryan.

C.J. looked at everyone puzzled.

"What's the matter," she said, "Did I miss something?"

Matt looked at her intently.

"Ginger said something about you keeping something from me," he said.

C.J. looked at each person before shaking her head in confusion.

"I don't know what you're saying."

Ginger folded her arms.

"Oh I think you do."

"I don't," C.J. said, "Certainly nothing that's your business."

"Maybe not," Ginger conceded, "but I make it my business when my friends get hurt."

Matt looked back and forth between them.

"What, who got hurt?"

"Ginger, why are bringing this up," Elizabeth asked.

"Bringing what up," Matt said.

Ginger hesitated.

"About what happened when you two vacationed in Tahiti together," she said, gulping her whisky down.

Matt narrowed his eyes.

"Excuse me, what does that have to do with anything?"

Elizabeth glared at her friend and then smiled.

"Oh Matt, nothing at all," she said, "It's perfectly fine for you to have spent the holiday with your business partner. After all, Ginger and I headed off to Mexico and had a great time."

"I don't think that's quite the same," Ginger said, "as the kind of fun that they had in the tropics."

C.J. folded her arms.

"What happened is none of your business," she said, "And I'm not going to listen to this anymore. I'm here to have fun."

She shot them one last look and walked over to meet Brian on the dance floor. They walked over to where the band played the next song and started dancing again.

Gracie looked at Ginger.

"I suggest you take her advice, rather than standing here and engaging in idle gossip," she said.

Ginger raised her brow and then went to find the athlete. Elizabeth turned towards her and Matt.

"I'm going to the powder room," she said.

Matt sipped his Scotch.

"What's going on here," he asked.

Gracie looked at him and shrugged.

"You're smarter than that," she said, "or at least you used to be."

Matt sighed.

"What am I missing then?"

Gracie chose her words carefully.

"C.J. has been trying to talk to you for days," she said, "but you've been busy."

"I've been busy," Matt said, "So has she."

Gracie hesitated.

"She thinks that you're busy trying to get back with Elizabeth."

He put his glass down.

"Actually it's over between us," he said, "We're not getting back together."

"Could have fooled me taking her out on the dance floor like that," Gracie noted.

"We still care about each other," Matt said, "just as friends."

"You need to tell C.J. that," Gracie said, "and set her straight."

"About what," Matt said, "She's the one who set me straight two months ago. I didn't want it to be over between us. She did."

"She was worried Matt," Gracie said, "She didn't want to lose you as a friend…in case it didn't work out."

Matt ran his hand through his hair.

"That never would have happened," he said, "We've been friends for so long."

"But you were lovers for much less time," Gracie said, "and that's new ground for both of you."

He looked back out at C.J. and Bryan dancing to the music.

"She certainly seems to have moved on," he said.

Gracie shrugged.

"She's a single woman who's out having a good time," she said, "like you are with Elizabeth."

Ginger walked on over.

"Where's your friend," Gracie asked.

Ginger sat on a nearby chair.

"He's showing off his Super Bowl ring to some fans," she said, "I've already moved on."

Gracie laughed.

"I can see that."

"Elizabeth's out having a good time with the senator's aide," Elizabeth said, "He's introducing her to the senator."

"That's nice," Gracie said, "It's a party. Everyone should be having fun."

"I see C.J.'s out there dancing with that man from the mayor's entourage," Ginger said.

"He's a nice guy," Gracie said, "and he's not looking for anything serious."

Ginger tilted her head at Matt.

"How do you feel about that?"

"About what?"

"Your best friend cavorting with another man," Ginger said, blinking her eyes.

"She's a grown woman," he said, "She makes her own decisions. She's always been very responsible."

"I'm sure," Ginger said, with a derisive chuckle.

Gracie rolled her eyes at her.

"What are you getting at?"

"She'll have a decision to make pretty soon," Ginger said, "about what she brought home from the islands."

Matt looked confused.

"What are you saying," he said.

Ginger looked at him pointedly.

"About the pregnancy of course," she said.

Matt looked at her in disbelief.

"What pregnancy," he asked, his mind racing a hundred thoughts a minute.

Ginger twisted her mouth.

"Oops."

Gracie just looked at her in disgust but Ginger ignored her, dipping her finger in her drink and stirring it.

"But then that's what she probably said when she realized what happened," she continued.

"Ginger," Gracie said, her voice tinged with anger, "You are the vilest person I've met."

Ginger shrugged.

"What I can't understand is why he doesn't already know," she said, "Why she didn't tell him."

Gracie exhaled in exasperation.

"That's because she's not pregnant," she said, "She never was."

Ginger snickered.

"Yeah right," she said, "I know what I heard…"

Gracie shook her head.

"Not that it's any of your business," she said, "but what you're saying isn't true."

Ginger just looked at both of them and then grabbed her glass.

"Whatever," she said, before sauntering off.

Matt ran his hand through his hair, his face showing a myriad of emotions.

"Gracie, what's going on and I want the truth," he said.

Gracie sighed.

"She wasn't feeling well and was tired all the time," she said.

"I know that," Matt said, "She said it was from all the traveling she was doing for work."

"She thought she might be pregnant…you know from the time you spent together," Gracie said.

"Thought she was," Matt asked, "What happened?"

"She took some tests and discovered she wasn't," Gracie said, "End of story."

He started pacing.

"She should have told me," he said, "I had a right to know what was going on."

"You've been very busy lately with another woman," Gracie said.

"Yeah I guess I have," he said, "But I have to talk to her."

She put a hand on his arm.

"Wait a while until the gala's over," she said, "This isn't the place for this kind of discussion."

He nodded.

"It can wait," he said, reluctance in his voice.

C.J. and Bryan left the dance floor after the song.

"Do you want anything to drink," he asked her.

She smiled.

"Maybe some mineral water," she said, "We worked up quite a sweat out there."

"I'll be back," he promised.

* * *

C.J. watched him go and decided that she liked him and a part of her wished she felt more than that towards him. But then she knew from talking with him that he missed his ex-girlfriend more than he let on. Hopefully, they would find some way to meet in the middle and reconnect again. She groaned as she saw Ginger heading her way.

"Excuse me," she said, trying to pass her.

"Where are you going," Ginger said, "to return to Matt?"

C.J. just looked at her.

"No," she said, "I just don't want to be near you."

"What's the problem," Ginger said, "You upset that he's been spending more time with Elizabeth than you?"

C.J. shook her head.

"Hardly," she said, "I'm happy for them. Now if you'll excuse me…"

Ginger blocked her path.

"I don't believe you," she said, "In fact, I think you planned the whole thing in Tahiti."

"What are you trying to get at," C.J. asked.

"I think you tried to get pregnant so you could pull him away from Elizabeth."

C.J. looked at her shocked.

"What?"

"Not that it worked," Gracie said, "I guess he found out you're not pregnant."

"Did you say anything to him," C.J. said.

"A few words here and there," Ginger said, "Just enough so he could get the gist of it."

C.J. felt so many emotions fill her; she couldn't determine where one stopped and another begun.

"How dare you," she said, "Play around with people's private lives for your own entertainment."

"I don't play," Ginger said, "You really thought that you could hold onto him. How deluded is that?"

C.J. shook her head at Ginger.

"He and Elizabeth broke up," she said, "and it had nothing to do with me. I've given them plenty of space to work out their relationship."

"You manipulated the situation to your advantage whenever you could," Ginger said, "Controlling things from the wings."

C.J. tried to push past her.

"You're crazy," she said.

"You thought you could seduce him and tie him to you," Ginger said, "It's the oldest trick in the book but what can you expect from someone who claimed to get amnesia so she could work in the oldest profession in the book."

At those words, C.J. felt anger fill her.

"Get out of my way," she warned.

"Now Matt might not be too bright but even he can figure it out if enough time passes," Ginger said.

C.J. slapped her right across the face almost knocking her on the floor. People who were standing and talking nearby looked at the two women for a moment. C.J. just flashed Ginger one look and walked off in a rush.

* * *

Matt talked with several businessmen who had come over to him with a proposal that he liked enough to tell him he would forward it to Murray, who ran his corporation. The entire time, his mind focused on C.J., wanting the evening to end so that he could talk with her. He looked for her but couldn't see her in the large room that had filled up with even more guests in the past hour.

Gracie had left him after she ran into a club owner who had once worked for her and they began catching up on old times. Elizabeth walked up to him at the bar.

"This is a really nice party," she said.

He nodded, his mind still elsewhere. Then he looked up and saw an irate Ginger approach them, her hand over a side of her face. Elizabeth rushed over to her.

"What happened to you," she asked.

Ginger removed her hand.

"Is there a lot of damage?"

Elizabeth inspected her face.

"I can't see anything wrong with you," she said, "Did something happen?"

Ginger harrumphed.

"It most certainly did," she said, "C.J. slapped me."

Matt's brows rose when he heard that. Elizabeth's mouth dropped.

"I can't believe she would do a thing like that," she said.

Matt studied Ginger.

"She wouldn't unless you did or said something that made her very angry."

Elizabeth sighed.

"What did you do Ginger?"

Ginger looked from one to the other, her expression indignant.

"I'm the injured party here," she said, "She…assaulted me. I've already called the police to file a report."

"What did you say Ginger," Elizabeth pressed.

Ginger pressed her lips together and shrugged.

"You told her that I found out that she thought she was pregnant," Matt said.

Ginger remained silent. Elizabeth looked at her and shook her head.

"How could you Ginger," she said, then the words caught up to her, "What…?"

Ginger smiled at her friend.

"She's not actually pregnant," she said, "So there's nothing for you to worry about."

Elizabeth grew frustrated.

"Ginger, I told you," she said, "Matt and I are going our separate ways. There is no us."

"But…"

"Not another word," Elizabeth said, "and if the police do come, you're going to send them away."

Ginger shook her head.

"No, she assaulted me and I'm not about to let her get away with it."

* * *

C.J. walked through a hallway which led past several rooms. She felt a cool breeze and noticed that a door had been left open out into the gardens that had been featured in many different magazines in all their splendor. She walked outside onto a huge patio which bordered the rose garden and headed towards the path that divided the expanse of colorful flowers in half. Ahead, there stood a fountain and several benches around it. She sat down on one of them, looking out into the night. Most of her anger had dissipated and she felt calmer. Not that she really completely regretted slapping Ginger but as much as she hated to admit it, she should have told Matt about what had happened. If Ginger had found it good fodder to use against her, she had helped her in that.

"What are you doing out here," a voice said.

She looked up and her eyes widened when she saw that the man dressed as a waiter looked an awful lot like Jason.

"I should be asking you that question."

He looked down at his clothing.

"Oh that," he said, "I'm just out here moonlighting from the cop gig."

"Why are you working undercover here," C.J. asked, "Is anything going to happen?"

He looked serious.

"Hopefully not," he said, "That's why we're here."

She narrowed her eyes.

"Does this have anything to do with Clyde Jenkins?"

Jason sighed.

"He's here in L.A. to hit someone," he said, "We don't know who or what or where but it's possible there's a couple targets here that might look good to whoever hired him."

C.J. nodded.

"The senator."

"He's one possibility," Jason said, "There are several others. We don't even know if he'll be here but the brass doesn't want to take any chances."

"How did Lisa take it?"

He grimaced.

"Not long after our latest attempt at a romantic dinner," he said, "Both our cell phones went off."

"The course of true love never runs smoothly," she said.

He sat down on the bench next to her.

"How are you doing," he said, "I'm asking because most of the partygoers are inside, not out wandering the gardens."

"I'm not wandering," she corrected, "I just wanted to come out here and get some fresh air."

Jason pulled at his collar.

"It's a bit stuffy in there, in more ways than one."

She chuckled.

"At first I thought you might be coming out to arrest me," she said.

He frowned.

"Why would you think that?"

She sighed, and looked away.

"I slapped Ginger and she didn't take it well."

"What did she do to make you angry," he asked.

She hesitated.

"Nothing…It's my fault for not telling him that…"

She stopped talking.

"Telling who," Jason said, "Houston?"

She nodded.

"We kind of got together when we went to Tahiti," she said, "We aren't together now. We decided we work better as friends."

"I see," he said, "I know he cares a lot about you."

"I know," she said, "but we've been friends most of our lives and I don't want to lose that."

"Why do you assume that would happen?"

She looked at him critically.

"Wait, you're the one who said, why mess with a good thing," she said.

He grew silent a moment.

"Do you want a good thing or something even better," he asked.

"What do you mean," she asked.

"You know exactly what I mean," he said, "Do you want to remain just friends with him or do you want something more?"

"I……"

She frowned.

"I thought I just saw something in the trees over there."

He looked where she had looked and saw a shadow move.

"I'm going to see what that is," he said, "You stay right here."

He started to head towards the grove of trees, lit up only by the moon.


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14--the latest chapter of this story is up. Hope you enjoy reading it and thanks for the feedback!

* * *

C.J. watched Jason move towards the trees in search of the source of the shadowy figure. She hadn't been sure at all what she had seen. Unease filled her at the thought of Jason chasing after the unknown by himself but she remembered he was an experienced and well trained cop. Still, she found herself walking towards the trees, looking for him.

"Jason," she called.

She heard the trees rustling and Jason returned from between several of them, out of breath.

"What happened," she asked.

He bent over to regain his breath.

"I thought I was chasing someone," he said, "but I guess it was just my imagination."

She furrowed her brow.

"Are you sure?"

He looked back into the trees.

"I don't know," he said, "I figure if it had been a real person I would have caught up to him."

She shook her head at him.

"Maybe we're both seeing things," she said, "We'd better go back to the party."

"What about Ginger," he asked.

She grimaced.

"That's right," she said, "Technically I did hit her. I think she was going to call you guys."

"What happened?"

She hesitated.

"She told me that I tried to trap Houston into something by claiming I was pregnant," she said.

His brows rose.

"Wow," he said, "That's a pretty outrageous thing to say."

They walked back to the mansion.

"I'm not…in case you're wondering," she said, "I mean I thought…maybe."

"It's not my business," Jason said, "I just know that you don't go around hitting people."

"I shouldn't have done it," she said, "But I was so angry at her. And I think she told him about it."

He frowned.

"Matt would never believe that you'd do anything like that," he said, "He knows you too well."

"I know that," she said, "But I should have told him…I should have told him a lot of things I didn't."

Jason shrugged.

"You still can," he said.

She sat back down on the bench.

"It's been so crazy the past couple of days," she said, "And he's been busy with Elizabeth."

"He's probably trying to let her down easy," Jason said, "But he'd be down that aisle with her if it were the real thing."

She smiled.

"Maybe…"

He shook his heads.

"Guys go after what they want but because we do that, doesn't mean we want to hurt a woman in the process," Jason said, "Matt's more sensitive than most of us about taking care not to do that."

She nodded.

"I do know that about him."

"Then you have to trust that," Jason said, "and trust yourself to talk with him if there's anything coming between you."

She nodded again, then got up to leave.

"So do you think I'm going to get arrested," she asked.

Jason chuckled, as they walked back on the veranda.

"I think considering the circumstances, anyone would have done what you did," he said, "Just don't make a habit of it."

* * *

Matt ran his hand through his hair, looking around the room for her. But he couldn't see his best friend anywhere. Ginger had refilled her drink and sauntered off again. He didn't miss her. Elizabeth had gone back to speak with the senator's aide.

Gracie walked up to him.

"Where's C.J.," he asked.

"I don't know Matt," she said, "Probably getting some fresh air after smacking that troublemaker."

Matt sighed.

"Ginger was going to call the police on her."

Gracie smirked.

"She won't," she said, "It was her fault for baiting C.J. like that about tricking you. She's not going to admit that."

"C.J. would never do that," Matt said, "In fact she never told me anything was going on."

Gracie folded her arms.

"Matt, you were busy as I recall with Elizabeth," she said, "She didn't know if you were trying to get back with her."

"I'm not getting back together with her," Matt said, "After this party, Elizabeth is going back to San Diego."

"Hopefully, she'll take Ginger with her."

"It's been a rough couple of days," Matt said, "for everyone."

Gracie softened.

"I know that, you've been shot. C.J.'s been shot at and then there's that whole Molotov cocktail thing," she said, "It's enough to overwhelm anyone."

Roy walked over with Sophia. Both of them looked as if they were having a great time. Matt watched them together and was happy that his uncle had found someone special.

"How's the dancing," Gracie asked them.

"Pretty busy," Roy said, "They're doing a pretty good rumba right now."

Sophia asked the bartender for a mineral water.

"Your uncle's a great dancer," she said, "I wonder why he never said anything."

Matt smiled.

"He likes to keep a lot of things close to his vest," he said.

"The element of surprise was critical in my line of work," Roy said, winking at her, "Now Matlock on the other hand has been keeping off the dance floor."

"I was out there with Elizabeth a while ago," Matt said, "I'm just taking a break at the watering hole."

"Your uncle said that you were quite the rug cutter in your younger days," Sophia said.

Matt raised a brow at his uncle.

"Younger days," he asked, "I wasn't aware that I had gotten that old."

Roy shrugged.

"It's all relative," he said, "Nothing to be concerned about."

"Have you seen C.J.," Matt asked.

Roy shook his head.

"No I haven't," he said, "I did run into Ginger who seemed upset with her about something."

Matt sighed.

"There was an altercation between the two women."

Roy didn't seem too concerned.

"Ginger is what we used to call back in the day…an instigator. She would have made an excellent shall I say, agent provocateur."

"I'll take your word for it," Matt said, "But C.J. left after their…altercation and no one's seen her since."

Roy ordered a drink.

"Something tells me there's more to this story than you're sharing," he said, then raised his hands, "Not that I'm interested in the details but she cares a lot about you, she always has."

"Did you check the gardens out back," Sophia said, "Roy and I were heading that way anyway. I can't wait to see them."

Matt nodded.

"Why don't you two go and if you do see her, just tell her I was concerned about her."

Roy's brow furrowed.

"Is there any reason to be?"

Matt ran his hand through his hair.

"No…there's just something we need to discuss," he said.

Roy nodded but kept quiet, not wanting to push the issue. Sophia slipped her arm in his and they walked off.

"They look really good together," Gracie said.

"Yes they do," Matt said, "For years after my Aunt Flo died, he kept to himself."

Gracie smiled.

"He looks really happy now," she said, "They danced to every song on the floor."

"He used to do that with my aunt," Matt said, "Until she got sick. She never got over losing her only child."

"That was your cousin, right?"

"Yes, Will but he never was dead," Matt said, "We found him in a prison camp where he had been all these years."

"He must have been overjoyed to learn his son was alive."

Matt nodded.

"He was and they've been busy making up for all those lost years."

* * *

Roy and Sophia ran into C.J. and Jason.

"I didn't know you were here," Roy said, "I thought the LAPD paid its officers well."

Jason shrugged.

"I'm paying off the mortgage," he said, "Actually, we've got members of a special unit all over. We got some intel that there might be some action here tonight."

"Meaning because the senator and mayor are attending this gala," Roy guessed.

Jason nodded.

"Just to be on the safe side," he said, "The man who C.J. and Matt have been chasing around the past couple days is a hired hit man."

"Has there been any sightings?"

Jason looked at C.J.

"We thought we saw something out in the garden," he said, "But I think I chased after some shadow."

"We're heading out there right now," Roy said, "To check out the gardens."

"They're pretty impressive," C.J. said, "As far as the eye can see."

"Matlock's been looking for you," Roy said, "He seemed concerned."

"Oh that," C.J. said, "Roy, everything's fine. I'm sure I'll run into him."

Roy narrowed his eyes.

"Did he do anything to upset you?"

She shook her head and smiled.

"No, no," she said, "I just had a run in with Ginger and…"

"Matt told me," Roy said, "I know you wouldn't have done something like that unless she said something…"

"Yes she did," C.J. said, "She accused me of something I would never do to your nephew. I guess it made me angry."

"I know you would never do anything to hurt him," Roy said, "Not a woman who took a bullet and said nothing about it to help save him."

C.J. thought back to that night. The raw emotions that had filled her had shocked her more than the pain from being shot in the shoulder and feeling her own blood on her fingers.

"There wasn't a choice to be made then," she said firmly, "and I didn't want to hurt him but I think I did."

Roy smiled.

"Whatever it is you think you did," he said, "I'm sure the two of you can work it out.

She looked away.

"I hope so," she said, "I don't want to lose him."

"You won't," Roy said, "You've been friends for much too long."

"Yeah," she said, "We have."

And then she thought of what they had shared in Tahiti and her face flushed. Jason looked at them.

"I'd better be heading back to keep an eye out for any trouble," he said.

"Be careful," C.J. said.

He grinned.

"Lisa will kill me if I have to get stitched up again."

C.J. watched him go, knowing that he would be cautious. Still, his profession was by nature, a dangerous one. Roy smiled at Sophia.

"Well let's go and check out the garden and see if it lives up to the press."

They walked off, leaving C.J. who debated whether she would head back to the main room or take another side trip. She decided on the latter, still preferring to spend some more time on her own before heading back to the party. She thought back to what she thought she had seen by the trees outside. Had it been some prowler, or was it truly just her eyes and the light of the moon playing tricks on her?

She walked down a corridor and noticed some nice paintings on the wall that she knew had to be worth a fortune. Suddenly, she turned a corner and collided with a man, with a mustache dressed like a security guard. He placed his hands on her to steady her and then scrutinized her.

"What are you doing here, miss?"

C.J. felt taken aback at the tone in his voice.

"I…just needed to get some fresh air," she said, "It's a bit stuffy in that room with all those people."

He glowered.

"Not that it's not a great party," she said, "I just needed…"

He nodded.

"I guess it's okay if it's only a few minutes…"

She frowned, realizing that something about him appeared familiar.

"Who…"

Then along came another pair of footsteps and C.J. looked up and saw Matt approaching. His eyes widened when he saw her.

"C.J…."

The security guard looked at them both, and then shaking his head, walked off.

"Houston…there's something…"

"I've been looking all over for you," he said, "Is everything okay?"

She folded her arms looking at him.

"Sure, everything's just fine," she said, "About Ginger…"

"You don't have to explain what you did," he said, "I know she provoked you."

She sighed.

"That's still no excuse and I'm sorry," she said, "At least I'll be sorry tomorrow."

"C.J., we need to talk."

She looked at him a long moment.

"I know," she said simply, "I just don't know where to start."

"How about where we left off," Matt said.

She narrowed her eyes at him.

"What do you mean," C.J. said, "where we left off?"

He paused.

"When we had that discussion awhile back about keeping what happened between us in Tahiti there."

She sighed.

"I don't want to lose what we have," she said, "Our friendship has always been the most important thing."

"I can't argue with that," he said, "but I think we could be giving up something more important."

Her eyes flashed at him.

"When did this come about," she said, "I thought you were fine with the way things were between us."

"C.J…"

But the expression on her face had changed.

"Wait a minute," she said, holding up her hand.

"I've got something I want to say," he said.

She nodded.

"I know that," she said, "but there's something about that guy who just passed by…the security guard."

Matt frowned.

"I didn't get a good look at him."

"He said some words to me but I wasn't really paying attention to him," she said, "There's something familiar about him."

"What do you mean?"

C.J. thought for a moment, her mind working.

"Jason's here undercover Houston," she said, "He thinks that the hired hit man who we've been bumping into the past few days might be targeting someone here."

Matt's brows rose.

"That makes sense," he said, "given the dignitaries here tonight."

"We've got to find out who this guy is," she said, as she started walking down the hallway.

He followed to keep up with her.

"Wait C.J., this man might be dangerous," he said.

She looked at him directly.

"That's why we need to find him," she said, "Unless you'd rather stand here and argue about it first."

Matt looked at her and decided that she was right so both of them continued down the hallway looking for the mysterious security guard.


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15 CT

Matt followed C.J. as they went down a really long hallway looking for the security guard that had looked familiar to her.

"Where are we going," he asked.

She didn't even look back at him.

"I think I saw him heading this way."

"The gardens are out this way," Matt said, as they turned the corner.

C.J. had paused for a second, before making a decision to go down a different hallway.

"This place is much larger than it looks like outside," Matt noted.

"The garden's this way," she said as they saw a pair of French doors ahead.

"We've got to be careful in case we do run into him," Matt said, "There's a lot of blind spots in these corridors."

"Even more so outside," C.J. said, thoughtfully.

She stopped. Matt looked at her quizzically.

"What is it?"

"We need to have some plan or some idea of what we're doing," she said, "Maybe we should tell Jason…or Hoyt."

"You said Jason's undercover here," Matt said, "Is he one of the waiters?"

"Yeah," she said, "We were out in the gardens awhile ago when I thought I saw someone but it turned out to be some shadows."

"Are you sure?"

She nodded.

"Jason ran into the orchard and couldn't find anyone," she said, "And he's pretty quick."

"Maybe this Clyde Jenkins has help C.J.," Matt pointed out, "It won't hurt to go outside and take a look around."

She thought about it. It sounded risky because they would be by themselves and if they were ambushed…

"We won't be able to call for help," she said, partly to herself.

"What?"

She sighed.

"It's dangerous," she said, "I don't want anything to happen to you."

He narrowed his eyes.

"We always do this C.J.," he said, "It's part of the job."

"I know that Houston," she said, "but most of the time we try to come up with a plan or a strategy."

They started walking again towards the double doors which led out to the patio and then the gardens.

"I don't know why you're so worried," he said.

That irritated her but the words that spilled out of her mouth surprised her.

"Because you got shot just a few days ago," she said, "and that scared me."

He turned around suddenly to look at her and she grew flustered.

"Just forgot I said that," she said, brushing it off, "We'll go outside and look for him and we'll just be careful if we do."

He stroked her arm and she looked up at him.

"I didn't mean to scare you," he said.

"It's not your fault," she said, "I'm sorry I said that."

"Why?"

She looked up surprised.

"What are you asking?"

He hesitated.

"Why are you sorry about admitting that you're scared?"

She frowned, putting her hands on her hips.

"I'm not scared…"

He looked at her and noticed the wariness in her eyes.

"I'm not talking about what might be out there," he said.

She looked away for a moment.

"I know that."

They both looked up and saw Elizabeth and Ginger heading towards them.

"Where have you been," Ginger said, looking at Matt.

"We were looking for someone," he answered.

Ginger looked at C.J. and pursed her lips.

"The police might be looking for her."

Matt and C.J. looked at each other.

"They've got better things to do," Matt said.

"Like what?"

C.J. just looked at all of them and then walked away.

"I'm going to find him," she said, "Excuse me."

Matt looked out after her.

"Who," Elizabeth asked.

"A man that may not belong here," Matt said.

"Is he dangerous?"

"We need to find that out," he said, starting after C.J.

Elizabeth and Ginger followed him. By the time Matt found C.J., she was about to go outside the French doors.

"C.J., wait," he said.

She looked back at him.

"I'm going out there and look around," she said.

"I'm going with you."

She nodded.

"Where are they going," Elizabeth said to Ginger.

"I don't know," she said, "Let's find out."

Elizabeth looked doubtful.

"I don't know," she said, "It looks like it might be dangerous."

But they both walked towards the French doors anyway.

Matt and C.J. looked around as they walked down the pathway through the garden.

"Where did you see him," he asked her.

She furrowed her brow.

"I don't know if it was a person I saw," she said, "It was a shadow. Jason ran after it but came up empty."

Matt nodded and looked over at the fountain which was softly lit in the dark.

"This is pretty impressive," he said.

She agreed.

"About what happened…"

She looked at him, confusion on her face.

"What happened?"

He hesitated.

"Back there with Ginger," he said, "I know what she said."

C.J. looked back towards the trees.

"Oh that," she said, "Houston…"

"You don't have to say it C.J.," he finished, "I know you would never do anything to hurt me."

"No I wouldn't," she said, "But I didn't do the right thing. I wanted to, but you and Elizabeth…"

"We're over," Matt said, "I think we always were but I think you were right about my needing to work through what happened with the wedding that never happened."

"I'm sorry about that."

"You have nothing to be sorry about," he said, "The wedding didn't happen because it wasn't ever going to take place."

She tilted her head.

"What do you mean?"

He sighed and sat down on a nearby bench, gesturing for her to join him so she did.

"I don't love Elizabeth," he said, after a moment of silence, "We're two very different people and it never would have worked out if we had gotten married."

"I thought it was my fault," C.J. said, "With Robert showing up…"

"C.J., whoever gave him that furlough is to blame as well as Robert himself," Matt said, "You were willing to go through what he wanted to protect me."

She pursed her lips.

"You mean a lot to me," she said, "We've been friends most of our lives."

He nodded.

"Did you ever want anything more than that," he asked.

She looked at him, caught off guard. She knew from the expression in his eyes that her answer mattered more than he might say.

"Sometimes…"

"I've been thinking about it more lately," he admitted.

She ran her hand through her hair.

"So have I."

He looked at her and she gave him a sidewise glance.

"But you said in Tahiti that you didn't want that," he said.

"I know," she said, "But I was just scared…that we wouldn't be friends anymore if it didn't work out."

Matt nodded thoughtfully.

"And it's just as well anyway," she said, "Because we returned and Elizabeth was here, wanting to get back together with you."

"But you thought you were pregnant with my child," he said, "and you never said anything."

She bit her lip.

"Not for long," she said, "I took the test and it was negative. Actually I took a few of them so there wasn't much to say after all."

"I wish you had told me."

She wished she had told him too but the circumstances had not been right.

"When was I going to do that," she said, "Come up to you while you're out to dinner with your fiancée…"

"Ex-fiancée," he corrected.

"Okay, ex-fiancée," she said, "and tell you that I might have gotten pregnant while we were on your honeymoon in Tahiti and I'll get back to you when I know for sure."

"C.J…"

She looked directly at him.

"No…how was it going to go down," she asked, "We haven't even spent time together since we got back."

"You've been traveling on these business junkets."

She sighed.

"I know," she said, "I think that was what was causing me to feel so fired not…"

"You've been working very hard," he said, "I should have handled some of those cases myself."

She folded her arms.

"You don't have a law degree," she said, "the legal side of this is my responsibility. Besides, I've had plenty of time the past week to relax and take it easy."

He looked at her doubtfully.

"Yeah dodging Molotov cocktails and getting shot at," he said, "What if you had been…"

"Pregnant," she finished, "Would I have been out living my life you mean."

"What we do is dangerous."

She sighed again.

"I know that Houston," she said, "I would never endanger my…our child if it turned out that I had been pregnant. If you don't know that, you don't really know me."

He heard that her voice was tinged with anger and with something else.

"I do know you," he said, with a smile, "I know you would never jeopardize the safety of our child but I would be worrying anyway."

She softened her posture.

"So would I," she said, "I never really thought having a family and I realized that I'm not really ready for it right now. I do want children some day but there's so much I want to do first."

"And I want you to do those things," he said, "But I would have never walked away from this. I would have been there no matter what."

She looked down at her hands.

"But what about if you had been getting back together with Elizabeth," she said, "I didn't know what you were planning anyway and the negative tests made the point moot anyway."

"I wish you had told me," he said, "I know what you went through last year…"

"You mean when I thought I was pregnant with Robert's baby," she said, "That's much different."

"You loved him," he said, "Before you know what he was."

She nodded.

"I was in love with him," she said, "But even if he hadn't turned out to be a murderer, I don't know if I would have married him."

That surprised Matt.

"What do you mean," he said, "I thought…"

"He came into my life after years away and swept me off of my feet," she said, "But I think I was more in love with the idea of that than him."

Matt rubbed the bridge of his nose and watched the expression on her face change.

"I didn't see the real him until it was almost too late," she said, "And then when he crashed your wedding, I felt like it was my fault."

He raised his brows.

"Why," he said, "He's responsible for his own actions not you."

"I know," she said, "but if I hadn't…"

"It was very difficult to do what you did," he said, "but you did the right thing."

"It took me a long time to realize that," she said, "But I finally did."

Matt looked at her a long moment.

"You're a very special woman," he said, "And I…"

Suddenly, they heard footsteps and saw Elizabeth and Ginger heading towards them.

"What's going on here," Ginger said, out of breath.

"We're looking for one of the security guards," Matt explained, "except he might not really be one."

Elizabeth looked confused.

"You mean…"

"He might be a hit man," Matt said, "There's a lot of prominent people at this gala event and anyone of them could be a target."

Ginger sighed.

"I know," she said, "I've been hit on by a famous basketball player and a talk show host just in the past hour."

"No not that," C.J. said, "There are a senator here and the mayor…"

"Oh them," Ginger snorted, "I hardly think they are worth the trouble."

"Ginger," Elizabeth sighed, "Just listen to what Matt has to say."

Ginger folded her arms.

"Okay so what are you going to do about it?"

"C.J. and I were out here looking for a guard who she bumped into in the hallway," he said.

Ginger struck her hand up.

"So that's where you were hiding," she said, "You know the police are looking for you for assaulting me in the ballroom."

"I didn't assault you," C.J. said, "I slapped you but I'm not getting into it with you because there's more important things to deal with."

"How can you say that," Ginger said, "My cheek is still pink."

C.J. got up from the bench.

"Bill me," she said, "I'm going off to find that man."

"The one who shot at you," Ginger said, incredulously, "You really are crazy."

C.J. didn't listen to her but began walking towards the fountain. Matt followed her, grabbing her arm.

"C.J. you can't just walk out here by yourself," he said.

She faced him.

"I won't be by myself if you come with me," she said, "and I can make my own decisions."

"I know you can," he said, "so let's decide what we're going to do next."

They both looked into the darkness of the orchard.

"I don't think there's anyone here," C.J. noted.

Ginger caught up to them, with Elizabeth trailing behind her.

"Where are you two going," she asked not for the first time.

C.J. and Matt turned around to face her.

"Wait a minute," Elizabeth said, suddenly.

"What is it," Matt asked.

"I think I saw a strange looking man near the wine cellar," she said, "It's not far away from the French doors that we just came through."

"Elizabeth, how do you know it's this…this hit man?"

"I don't," Elizabeth said, "but we won't know unless we go find him."

Ginger groaned as the other three went back into the house but followed them.

"Where is this wine cellar," she asked.

Elizabeth suddenly looked uncertain.

"I'm not sure."

Suddenly Gracie came running up the hallway.

"There you are," she said, "Something's happened in the ballroom."

They all looked at each other and then they ran down the hallway after Gracie.


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16---Updated this one too, hope you enjoy and thanks for reading!

* * *

The ballroom was in complete mayhem, as lights flickered from the ceiling and people gathered in throngs, looking nervously around.

"What happened," Matt asked Gracie.

She shrugged.

"I don't know," she said, "The lights just kept flickering and then someone started screaming…"

"Who," C.J. asked, looking around.

Gracie looked around too.

"I thought it was someone with the senator but I don't see them anywhere."

A waiter came walking by them with a tray of champagne as if nothing was happening but the gala.

"Excuse me," Matt said.

The waiter stopped and looked at him.

"What's going on here," Matt asked.

The waiter looked confused.

"I think some of the lights went out a few minutes ago," he said, "but they're being fixed right now so the entertainment can continue."

Matt looked over at the band which was standing idle, having had their power cut off.

"We were out there dancing on the floor," Gracie said, "and everything just went silent. I guess some people must have overreacted."

Roy and Sophia walked up.

"What's going on here," he said, "We were just out looking at the art collection in the study."

Matt pulled on his bow tie.

"We were out in the garden looking for one of the guards who C.J. recognized."

Roy looked over at C.J.

"Where do you know him from?"

She ran her hand through her hair.

"I don't know," she said, "I just knew he looked familiar."

Roy nodded.

"It's difficult to forget a face," he said, "more so than a name."

"I was going to ask Jason," C.J. said, "He's here checking with a team to keep some of the high profile guests safe from that hit man who's been running around the city."

"It's been a busy week for them," Roy said, "Busy week for you two as well."

One of the hosts walked up to them.

"Ladies, gentlemen, this problem with the electrical party is but an inconvenience," he said, "Come enjoy the party."

"Where's the senator and his party," C.J. asked.

"They're off having a private gathering with the mayor over some cards and Cuban cigars," the host explains, "They should be returning to the party soon."

"That's a relief," Gracie said.

"I think I should find Jason and tell him about what's been going on with the guard," C.J. said.

"I'll go with you," Matt said.

Ginger looked at them.

"Are you going to leave us here?"

But the two of them had already gone.

Gracie folded her arms.

"I'm sure they'll be back soon," she said, "You look like you could use a trip to the powder room."

Ginger reflexively reached up to her face.

"I'm sure I look as devastating as I did when I arrived."

Gracie harrumphed.

"You sure look devastated," she said, walking away.

Ginger looked at Elizabeth.

"That hussy had better watch herself," she said, "I've already been assaulted by her accomplice."

Elizabeth sighed.

"That's because you accused her of doing something so awful Ginger," she said, "Matt and I were finished and if we can move on, why can't you?"

"Come on Elizabeth," Ginger cajoled, "you can change his mind before this gala's done enough to take him home."

Elizabeth turned on her.

"I'm not going to do that," she said, "We broke it off. Whatever we had, it's over now."

"I'm sure when he's had time to think…"

Elizabeth shook her head.

"I think it's clear who he wants in his life."

Ginger waved her hand.

"That was a passing fling," she said, "It happens. The point is he returned to you."

Elizabeth started waving both of her hands.

"He didn't return to me," she said, "I approached him to ask for a second chance."

"He'll give you one," Ginger said, "He's just busy right now with running around saving the city."

Her friend sighed.

"That was part of our problem," she said, "It's very hard for any woman to fit in between the cases that he investigates."

"But you said you were past that," Ginger reminded her.

"I thought I was," Elizabeth said, "but then he got shot and he nearly got bitten by poisonous snakes, and chased after art thieves, purse snatchers and hit men."

"He survived all of that to do it again."

Elizabeth clasped her hands together.

"Then there's the biggest obstacle to our relationship of all."

Ginger snorted.

"You mean C.J.," she said, "She can't hold a candle to what you have to offer."

"Obviously she can and does because they hit the sheets on what was supposed to be my honeymoon!"

Ginger got herself another drink from the bar. Elizabeth frowned at her.

"How many of those have you had," she asked.

Ginger gulped the shot glass down.

"Not enough," she said, "After I got assaulted in front of everyone by that witch, not nearly enough."

* * *

C.J. and Matt walked back to where they had seen the movement down by the wine cellar.

"Where do you think Jason is," she asked.

"I don't know," Matt said, "but I think I found the cellar. Come on, I heard they have quite a stash of the best wines."

"So have I," she said, "but do you think the guard might be hiding down there?"

"Maybe," Matt said, "Couldn't hurt to look."

"No it couldn't," she agreed as they entered the wine cellar and walked down the small flight of stairs, the door closing behind them.

"It's not very lit in here," C.J. said, looking around at the rows and rows of what she assumed were wine bottles.

"There must be a light switch around here," Matt said, looking around.

C.J. walked among the shelves where many wines including many of them that were high vintage were stored. She caressed some of the bottles where they sat.

"Do you think anyone would notice if one was missing," she said, pulling one out, "1946, I heard it was a great year."

He looked at her.

"Now C.J. that would be stealing," he said, "They'd probably revoke your bar license if that got out."

She sighed.

"You're right but a girl can always dream," she said, "I used to date a guy in law school whose parents owned a winery and he took me on a tour of it once."

"Did you learn a lot about winemaking?"

She turned her face away and even in the dim light, he could see them flush.

"Among other things…"

"You mean you…he…"

She turned toward him and put her hands on her hips.

"Houston, I'm not going to share that with you," she said, "It's not like I kiss and tell about my relationships."

"And I do?"

She smiled and shook her head.

"No but you can definitely kiss."

His lips pursed trying to fight a smile.

"Oh I can?"

Her cheeks grew even pinker and she had to catch her breath and her words before they got away from her.

"Surely you've had other women tell you that," she said, lightly.

He stroked her cheek with his fingers.

"Not like you."

She moved away and continued walking among the wines. He followed her.

"Look at this one," she said, "It's from a French valley in the 1960s."

She showed it to him and he took it from her hands and looked at it.

"Not a bad winery," he said, "When I traveled through Europe, I stopped in that town and I met a young woman…"

She laughed.

"Do I really want to hear this part?"

"She worked at a local winery and she and her husband invited me to stay there one weekend when they were harvesting the grapes."

"That must have been fun," she said, "See you spent your summers traveling while I spent mine inside a stuffy office or dusty law library writing legal briefs."

He put the wine bottle away and looked at her.

"We could go back over there and see if it's still there," he said.

She nodded.

"I've been thinking of taking a trip there someday…when things get less busy at work."

"Alone?"

She looked at him, startled by the tone of his voice and that's when he reached for her. And when he did, she didn't resist. When he drew her into his arms and kissed her, she welcomed it and him. Just like that, standing inside a dimly lit wine cellar. Her lips melted against his and she wrapped her arms around him, rubbing his back, marveling in the muscles which tensed beneath her finger tips. She felt her back pressing against the shelf and his lips travel down her neck to that sensitive part near her ear he remembered. She closed her eyes, taking in the headiness of being with him. Until the creaking sound filled her ears.

"Houston…"

"Mmmmm…"

His mouth met her collarbone.

"The wine…"

He reluctantly pulled away and when he did, the shelf remained still.

"That was close," she said, "Thousands of dollars worth of fermented grapes and glass could have gone crashing down."

"It would have been worth paying that bill for damages," he said, fiddling with his tie.

She reached for it.

"Here, let me fix it."

He grabbed her hands instead and held them.

"I'm not sorry…"

She tilted her head.

"For what," she said, "For that?"

"For all of it."

She smoothed down her dress.

"Houston…we can't go back."

He nodded.

"No we can't," he said, "but we can go forward."

She considered that, biting her lip.

"I don't know if I can do that," she said, putting her hands up finally.

"Why, because of Elizabeth?"

She shook her head.

"No, it's not her," she said, "I don't think it ever really was her."

"Then what?"

She rubbed her arms.

"It's me," she said, "I can't go down that road with you because if it doesn't lead anywhere or we break up, I don't want to lose my best friend."

"That's not going to happen…"

Her eyes flashed at him.

"How do you know that," she said, "I mean we spent two days…"

"Two very special days," he amended.

"Okay, that," she agreed, "but look what's been happening to us since then. We've barely seen each other and when we do, it feels like we're in the middle of a minefield."

He looked at her quizzically.

"Mine field?"

She looked away.

"I feel like I have to be careful with everything I say to you, how I act," she said, "And when you got shot…"

"I've been shot before, C.J."

She shook her head.

"It's not the same," she said, "Now that we've…"

"Made love?"

Her mouth felt dry and she nodded.

"I'm still here," he said, "Not too much the worse for wear."

She sighed.

"This time…," she said, "God, now I'm starting to sound like Elizabeth."

"No, you sound like I felt when that guy threw the Molotov cocktail at you."

She furrowed her brow.

"He threw it at the restaurant not at me."

"Didn't matter."

She rubbed the bridge of her nose.

"There's more I have to say but I can't do it here."

Matt nodded.

"We'd better get back up and continue looking for this guard."

"Or maybe we can find Jason," she said.

They walked up the stairs and Matt pulled on the door and after a bit of resistance, they walked out into the hallway, where they ran into Elizabeth and Ginger who looked surprised to see them.

"Fancy running into the two of you here," Ginger clucked.

"We were looking for the guard and we thought he might have gone into the wine cellar."

"Uh huh. Whatever."

"Have you seen anyone," Matt asked.

Elizabeth frowned.

"We saw your uncle and his date," she said, "They were in with the mayor and the senator and there's plenty of armed police around them in case anything does happen."

"That's good," Matt said, "But if that guard is really Clyde Jenkins or anyone teamed with him, there could be a hit planned tonight."

Elizabeth twirled her necklace nervously.

"Oh that's just great," she said, "There's just no where to get away from all this violence."

Ginger rolled her eyes.

"Certainly not as long as Matt's around."

Her words made C.J. bristle.

"Hey, Houston's trying to stop something tragic from happening," she said, "Either help him do that or get out of his way."

Ginger's brows rose.

"Or you'll slap me again?"

C.J. looked at her directly.

"Don't tempt me."

Elizabeth put her hands on her hips and looked at her friend.

"Ginger, they're trying to do what's right and you're making it difficult for them," she said.

Ginger reached into her purse to pull out her lipstick to reapply to her mouth.

"The world's getting ready to crash down on all of us and I need a makeover."

C.J. just shook her head and took off walking. Matt looked at the other two women.

"You should get back into the ballroom with the others."

Ginger sighed.

"I can handle whatever C.J. can handle," she said.

Matt looked over at Elizabeth and she got the hint.

"Ginger, you've had a lot to drink tonight and we need to go back and stay out of Matt's way so he can do his job."

"What job," Ginger protested, "No one hired him."

Matt looked up and saw that C.J. had disappeared again.

"Excuse me," he said, taking off.

Ginger shook his head.

"Do you notice how he always goes running after her?"

Elizabeth just shook her head to herself and led her friend back to the ballroom.

* * *

Matt walked up the hallway and looked for C.J. but she had obviously gone down a different hallway in the large mansion that was filled with different passages. He had to find her in case she ran into Jenkins or any other dangerous hit men.

* * *

Not too far away from him, C.J. had continued walking down a different corridor looking for Jason or the missing guard. She glanced inside the rooms with open doors as she walked past them. No one else walked down the corridor and a cloak of silence hung over this section of the house.

Suddenly, she turned a blind corner and there he was. The guard who she could clearly see was not a guard at all but Clyde Jenkins.


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17 ---Here's an update to this story. I hope you like it and thanks for the feedback!

* * *

Matt looked up at C.J. as she pulled on a robe after disengaging herself from his embrace.

"Where are you going," he asked.

She turned to look at him.

"I'm getting packed," she said, "Our plane leaves in several hours."

She started to walk to her own room which adjoined his.

"We've still got some time," he said.

"We've got to be at the airport an hour early," she reminded him.

"That leaves us another hour to spend together."

She returned and sat on the edge of the bed.

"Houston," she said, "We've discussed this already."

He sighed.

"I believe that you said it would be better if we kept things the way that they were before what was it two nights ago?"

She nodded.

"It would be less complicated," she said, "You just broke up with Elizabeth a week ago and you still haven't gotten over that. You were supposed to be here with her."

"I'm not here with her," he said, "I'm here with you."

She rubbed the bridge of her nose.

"Only because it didn't work out between the two of you," she said, "and I came to Tahiti with you instead."

He sat up, pulling the sheets around his waist.

"Is this what you think this is about?"

She ran her hand through her hair.

"Isn't it?"

He looked perplexed.

"I didn't think so when you came into my bedroom."

"You invited me after that…dance we had on the beach."

He looked at her but her mind seemed elsewhere.

"I had a great time these past couple of days."

And that's when she turned around to look at him.

"Houston, your life is filled with good times," she said, "I don't want to be just another woman on a long list of them."

With that, she got up and walked away.

* * *

Matt tried to clear his head of everything except trying to figure out where C.J. had run off to in her search for the elusive security guard. If she ran into him by herself…he didn't even want to imagine that. He passed the next hallway and still nothing. Where had she gone?

He found himself thinking back to the time they had spent together in Tahiti. She had been the one to say that she wanted them to just remain friends as they always have been, before they crossed the line that had always existed between them and had become much more. At least he had believed so, but when they had gotten back to L.A. and had slipped into their usual routines working in his investigative agency, they didn't talk at all about what had happened. In fact, she had spent much of her time flying around the country performing the legal side of their work, to the point where she often returned from these trips more tired and seemingly more distant from him.

But she had been right about him. In that he hadn't truly let Elizabeth go even as they both had broken off their engagement and walked away from each other. He knew that he no longer loved her the same way as he had in the few heady months they had been seeing each other. He also realized that he had been more in love with the idea of marriage and family than with the woman he had selected to share both with him. When Elizabeth had stepped back into his life, he hadn't known exactly how to respond. Part of him still mourned the cancelation of the wedding but not enough to change his mind. Still, he knew that he had hurt her feelings and had wanted to atone for that in some way. But while he had been spending so much time with Elizabeth, C.J. had been dealing with issues of her own, that she shouldn't have been left with by herself. Even having her close friend Gracie with her didn't make up for that.

Matt sighed as he began to pick up his pace knowing that he had to find her soon.

* * *

C.J. stepped back out of the room but at that moment, Jenkins had looked up and his eyes widened. Even with his disguise, she had known it was him.

"What are you doing here," he asked, his hand moving towards what she knew was his gun.

"I was looking for someone," she said, "Excuse me."

She started to leave.

"C.J. wait…"

Startled, she turned around to face the man she had thought was a stranger. Well, a familiar looking stranger that she could never quite place.

"How do you know my name?"

He moved closer and she willed herself not to back another step.

"I knew you years ago," he said, "But I didn't think you remembered me."

She frowned, her brow furrowing as she tried to remember where she had seen him. When and where their paths had crossed in a way that appeared more memorable to him than it had been for her.

"When did we meet," she asked, "Was it high school?"

He shook his head.

"It was at Harvard University."

She still felt confused.

"You weren't in law school…"

"No, I was in the medical school," he said, "until I had to drop out."

"You mean you were studying to be a doctor?"

"Yes, but my heart wasn't in it," he said, "I wanted to go into research."

"So you changed schools?"

He smiled.

"In a matter of speaking, yes."

She struggled to grasp a piece of information that had just come to mind from her memories of those years.

"You were expelled," she said, "for some…ethical reason."

His face suddenly clouded over.

"It was all a misunderstanding," he said, "The school administrators didn't understand the importance of my research."

"What research?"

He hesitated.

"That's not for you to know," he said, "Suffice it to say, it's advanced much since those days thanks to some more generous benefactors."

"You mean terrorists."

He shook his head.

"That's not who they are at all," he said, "They're just more advanced thinking than most people."

She sighed.

"You're a hit man," she said, "You shot Houston. You tried to shoot at me."

"You both interfered with my assignment."

She folded her arms.

"So who's it going to be," she said, "Who's your target tonight?"

He hedged.

"That's not for you to know either."

"It doesn't matter," she said, "They already know that you're here and they're waiting for you to act."

He smiled.

"I know that," he said, "but I act according to my schedule not theirs."

She paused, thinking quickly, wondering where Matt and even Jason were right now.

"What makes you think you're going to get away with it," she asked.

"Too many questions and I'm done answering them," Jenkins said, pulling out his gun and aiming it at her.

She waited for him to pull the trigger and shoot her but he just aimed the gun at her and gestured for her to come in the room.

"If you don't, I will shoot."

She walked into the room knowing that he would.

* * *

Gracie walked up to Matt in the hallway.

"Where's C.J.?"

He looked up the corridor again.

"I'm trying to find her."

"Everyone else is wondering what's going on," she said.

"What about the senator?"

"His aide led him into where he'll be staying until the police have searched the grounds for this guy."

Gracie looked worried and Matt couldn't think of anything to say that would make her less so.

"Gracie, I need you to find Jason and tell him to meet me on this side of the house," he said.

She nodded.

"I'll do that," she said, "but be careful. I don't want anything to happen to either one of you."

"Nothing's going to happen," he assured her, "except we're going to apprehend the bad guys before they can cause any harm."

"Do you know who they are," Gracie asked.

"We know who one of them is," Matt said, "He's working at this party."

Gracie nodded and told Matt she would be sure to find Jonathan and for him to be careful.

While walking, she ran into Ginger and Elizabeth and wished she could just head off in the opposite direction but steeled herself for their questions.

Ginger swaggered a bit as she had imbibed quite a bit at the party so far.

"Where are you going," she asked.

"I'm looking for Jason," she said, "Have you seen him?"

Ginger chuckled.

"Oh you mean the guy who is pretending to be one of the waiters."

Gracie nodded, trying not to roll her eyes. Elizabeth tugged on Ginger's arm.

"We should help her find him," she said, "Have you seen Matt?"

"He's looking for C.J," Gracie said, "She's disappeared."

Ginger snorted.

"She hasn't disappeared anywhere," she said, "She's just hoping to trap him."

Gracie ignored her.

"Elizabeth, they were both looking for that mysterious security guard and they got split up."

Matt's former fiancée sighed.

"I hope they're not in any trouble," she said, "After all, that man tried to kill Matt."

Ginger looked down the hallway.

"I don't see anyone," she said, "You know that C.J.'s just trying to get her hooks into Matt because her pregnancy scheme failed."

Gracie felt dangerously close to smacking the expression right off of Ginger's smug little face.

"I thought C.J. had set you straight," she finally said, "but if one slap didn't knock some sense back into your head, another won't help."

Ginger blanched.

"You're not going to hit me," she said, "though it wouldn't surprise me that a friend of C.J.'s would be prone to violence. Birds of a feather and all that…"

Elizabeth closed her eyes.

"Ginger…just be quiet," she said, "We've got to go find Jason."

Gracie sighed. At least one of the two women had some smarts in her.

"Will you help me," she asked Elizabeth.

The other woman smiled.

"Sure I will."

* * *

C.J. started at Jenkins who still had his gun trained on her. She thought she saw a trace of regret in his eyes.

"I'm sorry but I'm going to have to kill you."

C.J. had figured he would get to that part of the equation.

"Why," she asked.

"You know who I am," he said, "You can't be allowed to get away and warn the others."

She shook her head.

"They already know Clyde," she said, "In fact, the police are out there looking for you and they're going to find you."

"Not before I make my strike," he said, "and they won't be able to stop me."

"What do you mean?"

"I'm not going to say anymore," he said, "do you have any final words?"

She paused.

"Yes, but you're not the one I want to hear them."

He looked at her quizzically and she took that as an avenue to continue.

"You know the man that you shot the other night," she said, "I needed to tell him something."

Clyde looked at his watch.

"Hurry up and just say it," he said, "You don't have much time."

"That the time we spent together meant more to me than I could ever say," she said, "Than I did say."

Clyde gestured with his gun.

"Continue…"

* * *

Matt had rushed down what he hoped was the last hallway and had heard voices coming from inside one of the rooms. As he listened, he recognized the female one and followed it until he had taken a secured vantage point from outside the room and looked inside. His heart sank as he saw C.J. with her back to him being held at gunpoint by Jenkins who appeared very agitated. He held his position by the door while his mind raced ahead to figure out what to do now.

* * *

C.J. looked at Jenkins.

"His fiancée came back recently and I thought that he wanted her back," she said, "and that our time together hadn't meant anything to him."

Clyde's gun wavered in his hand. C.J. pretended not to notice as she continued with her story.

"Not that I really could blame him because I acted as if it didn't mean so much," she said, "because I didn't want to ruin our great friendship."

Clyde sighed.

"Why are you telling me this," he said, "What am I Ann Landers?"

"You asked me if I had anything to say," she countered.

And despite the seriousness of the situation, Matt's mouth lifted into a smile when he heard the stubbornness in her voice.

"Okay, since I'm going to kill you in a minute, I guess I owe you that," he said, grudgingly.

"And then I thought I was pregnant," she continued.

He nearly dropped his gun.

"Are you pregnant," he asked.

She looked at him intently.

"Would it make any difference," she said, "You're going to kill me."

"Well I…"

"I'm not," she said, "but it took six pink sticks."

"Six what?"

She sighed.

"Are you sure you went to medical school," she asked.

"So the rabbit didn't die on you then," he said, "I guess that makes this a little bit better."

She tilted her head.

"Why are you a hit man anyway," she asked, "Just because Harvard expelled you."

"Well…"

"We all have setbacks to our goals," she said, "We don't always get what we want. Just like the Rolling Stones song."

"I hate rock and roll."

That explained some of his obvious problems, C.J. thought.

Matt listened to their conversation from where he stood out of sight. He knew he had to move quickly before Clyde made serious on his threats to kill C.J. He had to disarm the man but how, given that C.J. stood between them. Suddenly he felt a tap on his shoulder and looked behind him to see Jason there still in his waiter's outfit.

"What the hell is going on here," Jason asked.

"C.J.'s in there being held at gunpoint and since she knows him from somewhere, he's going to kill her."

Jason's eyes flashed confusion.

"Knows her from where?"

"Harvard I'm guessing."

Jason took in the situation and then reached for his radio.

"We've got to call for backup."

"How many you got at this shindig?"

Jason paused.

"About a dozen cops down the street waiting to be dispatched."

Matt frowned.

"I thought so," he said, "That doesn't leave us with much time."

Jason gave him that look.

"What have you got planned and why am I not going to like the sound of it?"

Matt shot him a look back.

"Because you're right."


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18---This FF story has been updated and is nearly done. I hope you enjoy it and thanks for reading and your comments. I'll be updating and nearly completing four of them hopefully soon. "Glimmer of Twilight" probably will take a little bit longer because it's more complex. Also I completed the Valentine's Day story and will be doing holiday themed stories throughout the year. So keep an eye out for those. Possibly the next one will be St. Patty if my real life slows down enough, lol.

Above everything, thanks for reading and remember, the first season of this show is finally coming out on DVD in March.

This story is dedicated to George Wyner who's taught me how to curtsy in my much younger days…

Jason looked at the expression on Matt's face and knew he wasn't going to like his plan whatever it turned out to be.

"What are you going to do," he asked.

Matt reached for his gun.

"Stop this before it goes further."

Jason put his hand out.

"We need backup before we go in there."

Matt prepared his gun.

"We don't have time."

C.J. looked at Clyde who still had his gun aimed at her.

"I can't let you do this," she said, "You can't go and hurt anyone."

"I plan to kill someone and if you're in my way, it will be you first."

She shook her head.

"I'm not ready to die," she said.

He began to press on the trigger.

"I didn't ask…"

Suddenly, Matt lunged into the room, with his gun drawn. Clyde heard him and looked up, turning his gun towards the man heading towards him with his own weapon.

"No you don't," C.J. screamed and put herself between them when the gun fired.

She felt the impact slam into her like a moving car and fell to the ground. Matt looked at her lying there for a split second and then when Clyde began to press his finger to the trigger again, Matt pressed the trigger of his own gun without thinking.

Clyde didn't fall to the ground from the first gunshot but went down for good when the second hit him in the chest. Matt had been raised around guns all of his life, been trained in their use and rarely ever missed his intended target.

He then turned towards C.J. whose face had gone white and her body into a fetal position. He knelt down beside her and stroked the hair off of her brow.

"Where is it?"

She didn't respond and he gently moved her and found an expanding blood stain on her gown in her abdomen. Jason put his own gun and rushed towards them as other police officers flooded the room to deal with the dead hit man.

"Call an ambulance," Jason yelled back at the officer and one of them took out his radio.

Matt heard a voice and realized that C.J. was still conscious, murmuring something that he could barely hear.

"C.J. honey, it's going to be okay," he said, "The ambulance is on its way and we're going to take you to a hospital…"

She reached up for his face with her bloodstained fingers.

"I…."

"Don't try to talk," he said, turning to Jason, "Where are those damn paramedics?"

"Our men called them," Jason said, "They should be almost here."

Elizabeth and Ginger had run to the room after hearing gunshots and saw what had happened.

"Ginger, go tell the others," Elizabeth said.

Her friend's eyes widened.

"What just happened?"

"Just do it," Elizabeth repeated.

Ginger took off. As she exited the room, in rushed the paramedics pushing a stretcher and carrying medical equipment. They quickly took over as they worked to save C.J.'s life. Matt stood up but remained close by.

"She's going to be okay Matt," Jason said.

"It happened so quickly," Matt said, "She saved my life."

"Are you surprised," Jason said, "The woman loves you. "

Matt rode with C.J. to the hospital inside the cramped ambulance. At first the paramedics had refused to let him board the vehicle with them but Matt rejected that and said he wasn't leaving her. He had held her hand in the ambulance just as she had done for him while the paramedics worked on her. A couple times, they nearly lost her, as her heart struggled to beat, her lungs to draw the next breath. But after each time, he thought he felt her squeezing his hand back, faintly but she definitely still had life within her.

They rushed her down the corridor which seemed to be endless to surgery and the surgeon told Matt he had to wait with the others, who had driven to the hospital. Uncle Roy had put his arm around his nephew's shoulder and taken him to the coffee machine. Matt remembered another day like this one, when his now deceased friend Too-Mean had done the same for him the first time that C.J. had been shot, that time by some Chinese gangsters who had been working for a crooked DEA agent. She had nearly died that day because she had been so intent on clearing her friend from college, Connie Ling, on a drug smuggling charge. Elizabeth, Ginger and Gracie sat nearby, the conversation between them minimal as they all waited for word on C.J. They gave Matt his space but let him know they were there if he needed them.

That left Matt with his own thoughts and more than a few memories of the long life that he and his best friend had shared together. Visions of them riding their horses back on their respective ranches in Texas, long before they had moved to L.A. They had made that major move to first expand his business empire then to pursue their dream of setting up an investigative agency to help other people. He remembered how she had been shot in the shoulder, nearly bleeding to death before she would let him know. His brow knitted as he realized how she always put him first before herself, even when it met risking her life. Not that he would do any less for her, but he wondered if she knew how much that and she meant to him.

Then he thought about Tahiti, and when she had come into his bedroom accepting his invitation to take their friendship out of the platonic stage. Her lovemaking had been both generous and passionate, because like she did with the rest of her life, she put everything into what she did. Matt had thought he had given her back what she had wanted but realized now, that he had held himself back. And when they had woken up the morning they had to leave the wonderful island and head back home, she had lain in his warm embrace and as he kissed her neck where she loved it, she had tried to tell him from her heart and he had answered with his body. Matt had always been a man of action and few words but he realized now that she had really needed those words.

"You really love her don't you?"

He looked up from his reveries and saw that Elizabeth had sat down beside him and rubbed his shoulder with her hand.

"Yes you do," she continued, "I knew it when we were at the altar and she had agreed to marry Robert to save your life. I knew that I could never offer you the same."

He looked down at his coffee cup.

"So why…"

She smiled.

"I couldn't let you go Matt," she said, "No that's not it. I couldn't let the idea of what I thought we would have, go. But I realized that it's not worth anything if it's not with the person who wants it as much as you do."

He sighed.

"I did love you."

She nodded.

"I know," she said, "but you're not in love with me and there's a big difference between the two."

He looked back towards the operating room.

"I can't lose her."

She reached for his hand.

"That's not going to happen," Elizabeth said, "She's a very strong woman and very determined. That will pull her through this."

Matt nodded, knowing both to be true but he had trouble believing in luck or fate.

"And when she does," she said, "You have to tell her how you really feel."

Matt knew that if C.J. lived, he wouldn't have trouble finding the words to do that.

The surgery took hours and they sat there waiting until the surgeon, his mask lowered came out to the lobby and Matt sprung up from his seat to meet him.

"How is…"

The surgeon betrayed a smile.

"She's survived the surgery," he said, "The bullet missed any major organs but there was heavy bleeding that had to be stopped from some blood vessels. The next day or so will be critical but I think she's going to make it."

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief and said a couple prayers of thanks. Matt closed his eyes for a moment, allowing the emotion to rush through him again. He had braced herself for news of her death without realizing it. But he knew now that she was going to live and recover from her injuries, because she knew she had too much in life awaiting her.

"Can I see her," he said.

The surgeon hesitated and then nodded.

"For a minute," he said, "She's going to be in and out of consciousness the next couple of days."

A nurse came and led nurse to her hospital room and he almost stepped back at the sight of the medical equipment including a heart monitor attached to her. Her eyes were closed, but her face had lost its ashen look. Slight bruising rested beneath her eyes as she slept. He sat down in a nearby chair and took his hand in his own two, rubbing it.

"The doctor said you're going to make it," he said, "God, I thought this was it. That I was going to lose you."

She opened her eyes then and as she took in the sight of him, a small smile curled her mouth.

"I'm not going that easily," she said weakly, "I guess we're two for two for getting shot this week."

He smiled at her attempt at humor to put him at ease.

"The others are outside in the lobby," he said, "Everyone sends their good thoughts."

"I hope I didn't ruin the party," she said, "or worse, get written up in the society pages."

He reached with one hand to stroke her forehead.

"Oh you'll make a column or two."

Her face became serious.

"I'm so sorry Houston…"

"For what?"

She struggled to find the words.

"To make you worry so much," she said, "The doctors…"

"Say you're just fine," he said, "but you're going to need plenty of rest and good care before they're going to let you out of here so you can go home where you belong."

She bit her lip.

"I'm sorry about Tahiti too."

That admission startled him.

"You've got nothing to be sorry about…"

"I lied to you."

His brow furrowed.

"What do you mean?"

She struggled to keep any tears at bay.

"I was just so scared," she said, "Not of you but of my own feelings. About you. About what happened between us and how that would change us."

He digested that.

"I thought it was just me."

She tilted her head as much as she could manage.

"You?"

He sighed.

"I never thought of you as a good time to add to my list," he said, "I woke up that last morning and I realized that part of my life was done."

"But you agreed…"

"Because you weren't ready C.J.," he said, "and unless you were, I had to wait and hope that day would come."

She smiled.

"You…wait," she said, "There's a world of women and you could have any one of them."

"Why would I want them when the woman I want is right in front of me," he said, "It took me much too long to realize how much I really wanted that."

"But you and Elizabeth…"

"You were right about me C.J.," he said, "I needed closure with her and I got it. I'm just sorry for what I put you through to get to that place."

She slowly reached up to touch his face.

"You're here with me right now," she said, "And that's what matters."

"I should have never left you thinking you were pregnant with my child…"

"If I had been, we would have worked through it," she said, "And I would have been perfectly fine having our child."

Matt had smiled when she said that, and then kissed her gently on her forehead before leaving her to get some much needed sleep so that her injuries could continue their healing process. He had gone out to sit with the others for a while before Roy suggested they get a bite to eat in the cafeteria before resuming their vigil.

Gracie walked beside him.

"She's got to find another line of work."

He smiled.

"I can't wait until you try to convince her of that."

Both of them knew it would be a futile exercise at best. C.J. loved her work and her life, with a passion that caught the eye of everyone around her. Gracie laughed at his statement.

"You're right," she said, "But she's not going to be doing anything too active for a while."

"Not if I can help it," he said, "though try containing a tornado."

They both laughed at that and the world suddenly felt like a better place.


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter 19--The final chapter of this older FF story...I hope you enjoy it and thanks for reading it and your patience and the comments!

* * *

C.J. recovered from her bullet wound just as she had recovered from the rest of them, given that she mended quickly. She drove the doctors crazy at the hospital wanting to leave while she still needed to heal and on the day she left, the harried doctor looked at both her and Matt and told them he never wanted to see either one of them again. Matt of course had wanted her to stay with him at his beach house to recuperate but C.J. knew if she did that, he would never give her a moment's peace. Thankfully, Gracie stepped in and said that she would stay with C.J. a while longer and help her out. C.J. mouthed a thanks to her former sorority sister.

She wanted some time to be alone so she could process the feelings that she had for her best friend and Gracie understood that.

"He's quite a guy you know," Gracie said one morning over breakfast," You must think so too since you took a bullet for him."

C.J. played with her omelet with her fork. Her appetite had come back quickly enough but she didn't like where Gracie was going in this conversation.

"He's my best friend," she said, "And yes, I think he's more than that but I don't want to jump into anything."

Gracie snorted.

"Like you jumped into his bed in Tahiti."

C.J. smiled, sipping her orange juice.

"I did, didn't I?"

"And from what I hear from him, he's not complaining about it."

"He wants a physical relationship," C.J. said, "But what happens when he doesn't?"

Gracie shook his head.

"Of course he does. He's a guy and you're a beautiful woman," she said, "But he's a guy who is in love with you and that's different. You know that."

C.J. weighed her friend's words.

"I think I do," she said, "but that's now, what about the future? I couldn't face losing him as a friend if things didn't work out."

"All relationships involve taking risks," Gracie pointed out, "But I think the odds are with both of you if you ever get your acts together and just take it from there."

C.J. thought about that too. Both wanting something so much but being afraid at the same time which wasn't really like her at all. But her relationship built with Matt through a lifetime of friendship was just too important. Still Tahiti had been the best time of her life, spent in the arms of the man that she had loved and been in love with longer than she could admit.

"I'll talk to him later…after the party."

* * *

Matt had told C.J. that he wanted to give her a welcome home party and she had said that would be fine so he had picked today and it would be held at the office, with their friends and coworkers. Uncle Roy would be bringing Sophia and some of his culinary delights. Hoyt, his family, Jason and his girlfriend would be there too as would Elizabeth before she headed back home. C.J. had told Matt she hadn't wanted to make a huge fuss about getting out of the hospital and going back to work but she knew he probably hadn't listened much. After all, he was Texan born and raised.

Both she and Gracie dressed to get ready for the party and C.J. decided against going casual as she planned and put on a summer dress. A heat wave had returned to the City of Angels and she and Gracie had spent most of her recovery period at the beach. They drove down to the office, and sure enough when they got off the elevator, they saw that the suite had been elaborately decorated, music was playing and the guests had already begun to arrive. Elizabeth sat on the couch with a more subdued Ginger and Hoyt's young daughter was playing the piano with Murray. Matt and his uncle were laying out food and serving drinks at the wet bar but when Matt saw her, he left his task and walked over to her. They embraced and he kissed her on the cheek before taking her hand and announcing her arrival to the guests. Then he insisted that she sit down and rest.

She snorted at that.

"Houston, I'm perfectly fine," she said, "Stop treating me as if I were fragile."

"C.J., you just got out of the hospital a week ago," he protested, "You need to take it easy."

"You need to knock it off already," she said, "I'm only resting for another week and then I'm coming back to work."

"You'll still have your stitches."

She put her hands on her hips.

"Since when has that ever stopped you," she said, "You're constantly having to have yours redone."

He stopped talking, knowing that she had him there but he still worried that she might overexert herself.

"Fine but I'm confining you to desk duty," he said, before she could protest.

To his surprise, she nodded.

"Okay fine, one week behind a desk but then I'm coming back."

He chuckled at her determination and resisted the urge to touch her. Although he had spent time with her after she had left the hospital, he still didn't know where he stood with her. He remembered what she had said to him in her hospital bed but since then, she'd been keeping him at a distance. This was difficult for him because he wanted to pick up where they left off in Tahiti but he respected her wishes. Although her shapely form sheathed by her dress made that difficult…

"Houston, what's the matter?"

He looked at her and picked up his drink.

"Hmmm…nothing… though that's a pretty dress you're wearing."

She smiled.

"Thank you," she said, "I did think of throwing on a pair of worn jeans and a shirt but I decided to do something differently today."

"I'm glad you did," he said, "I on the other hand…"

She laughed.

"I know you hate tuxedos and I didn't want you to put one on for me so what you have on looks…just fine."

Houston smiled, knowing she spoke the truth by what he saw in her eyes. He had thought about it, but decided to follow C.J.'s wishes and keep the party casual…except for the décor of course.

* * *

The party continued for more hours and everyone had a great time. As it begun to unwind, Gracie and Sophia were in the kitchen putting things away with Chris. Ginger hadn't gotten too drunk and Elizabeth was set to drive her back to the hotel. C.J. said goodbye to both of them and had embraced Elizabeth wishing her well in her life. She stuck to saying goodbye to Ginger from a distance and the older woman grudgingly returned the favor. It was clear the two of them would never be great friends but Ginger had dropped her plans to file assault charges against C.J. for the night of the gala.

"It's been nice," Ginger said, "But let's not do this any time soon."

Elizabeth shot C.J. another smile and the two women walked off. C.J. shook her head and took off her heels as she joined Gracie in the kitchen.

"What are you doing in here," her friend said, holding a dish, "You're supposed to be relaxing."

C.J. blew a strand of hair off her face.

"Will you lay off," she said, "I can help with the cleaning up."

"Matt's out talking with Hoyt and Jason about that hit man who shot you," Gracie said.

C.J. nodded.

"I crossed paths with him at Harvard a time or two," she said, "It's funny how life turns out."

"Well, the case has been closed on him," Gracie said, "And they made a few other arrests based on a CD they found on him. They were apparently bioterrorists who were working with others to launch attacks on different venues in this country."

C.J.'s eyes widened.

"Wow," she said, "He seemed very disgruntled in our brief conversation before he shot me."

"They're breaking up the entire ring," Gracie said, "Once again, you and Matt saved the day."

Maybe, C.J. thought to herself, only knowing she was glad it was over and they could put this episode behind them.

* * *

Later, after Gracie had left her alone with some excuse to check out a jazz act for her own business, C.J. had poured herself some of Roy's juice and walked out on the helipad to check out the expansive view of L.A., a city that could sleep peacefully now that a terrorist plot had apparently been averted by the death of one of her own college mates. She enjoyed the blinking lights that were displayed in front of her up to the horizon and sipped from her drink, thoughtfully.

She heard the footsteps behind her.

"Mind if I join you?"

She smiled and shook her head and soon enough, Matt stood beside her looking out at the city.

"Makes me feel tiny up here," he said, "In the face of all that."

She nodded.

"I think that's why I come here when I'm thinking about something."

"Me too," Matt said, "And I've got something on my mind right now."

"Matt…"

"I'm not going to push you into anything you're not ready for or don't want," he said, "but when I nearly lost you the other night…"

She turned to face him.

"It's not about what I want or don't want," she said, "I don't want you to base a decision on fear of losing someone."

"Do you think that's what this is about," he asked.

She thought about it and then slowly shook her head.

"No I don't," she said, "You were the one who wanted to change our relationship. I was the one who held back."

"C.J., no matter what happens to us, it's never going to change the way I feel about you," he said, "I just think that we have the chance to build something better and I'd like to take it."

She turned away to look at the horizon again.

"It just scares me," she said, "To want something so much and yet…"

"You feel like it's going to be taken from you," he said, "Like your father was when you were a little girl."

She hesitated.

"How did you…"

"I remember that conversation we had when you were seeing Robert," he said, "and what you told me, but I'm not going anywhere."

"You could get killed tomorrow," she said, "God, now I sound like Elizabeth."

"Anything could happen to either one of us, but we can't be afraid to live," he said, "and I've never seen you like this about life."

"It's different with you," she said, "I look at you and I want so many things. I want to build that life with you. I want to experience everything with you. I want a home. I want children… but is that what you really want?"

He nodded.

"More than anything," he said, "I've been thinking about that since we got back when I haven't been chasing bad guys."

She bit her lip.

"Me too," she said, "and that scared me especially when I thought I might be pregnant. For the second time in two years by two different men."

"I would have been there with you," he said.

She knew that to be true. After all when she thought she might be pregnant with Robert's child, she had never felt more alone. She had been nursing a broken heart after she had worked with Matt to set up her boyfriend and send him to prison. The thought that she might be carrying his child had nearly broken her but when she had finally told Matt, he had been there for her every step of the way whatever she decided, even if it was to raise the child. She had found out soon after that she hadn't been pregnant and life had gone forward.

"I know," she said, "and part of me was disappointed when the tests came back negative."

He furrowed his brow.

"Me too."

She reached for his hand and took it in hers.

"I do really want this," she said, "but I want to start back at the beginning."

He looked puzzled and then he brightened.

"You mean you want me to ask you out?"

She laughed.

"Well isn't that how it usually goes?"

He thought about that and nodded.

"Okay," he said, "I'll tell you what, I'll get my secretary to call your secretary and set up a date…"

She laughed and pulled him away with her walking to the penthouse.

"We'll skip the middlemen and you've got a deal."

He smiled at her and drew her closer to him as they walked back inside the suite and towards their new life.


End file.
